Imaging radar patent landscape 2025: Who dominates the IP battlefield shaping the future of autonomy?

KnowMade announces the release of its new report Imaging Radar for Autonomous Systems – Patent Landscape Analysis 2025. This extensive intellectual property (IP) study provides an in-depth view of global patenting activities in imaging radar, a fast-emerging sensor technology enabling high-resolution 3D/4D perception for autonomous mobility, robotics, and beyond.

Imaging Radar: A Core Driver of High-Resolution Autonomy

Imaging radar goes beyond traditional radar by capturing range, velocity, azimuth, and elevation simultaneously, generating dense 3D/4D point clouds. This capability enables advanced perception functions such as object classification, free-space detection, and scene
reconstruction. With proven robustness in adverse weather, low light, and complex environments, imaging radar is emerging as a cornerstone technology for autonomous driving, aerial drones, maritime navigation, robotics, space, and defence systems.

The report identifies more than 22,200 patent applications, grouped into over 10,600 patent families, including 2,800 core inventions of high relevance to imaging radar for autonomous systems. From 2015 to 2024, annual patent publications increased by 1,100% (CAGR 32%),
underscoring the rapid acceleration of innovation in this domain.

A Highly Competitive and Fast-Evolving IP Battlefield

Imaging radar patenting has surged as the technology evolves from a complementary sensor toward a central perception modality in autonomy. The US and China together account for more than half of global filings, while Europe retains a strong presence through Tier-1s such as Bosch, ZF, and Valeo. IP leaders including Intel-Mobileye, Bosch, GM, Alphabet-Waymo, Huawei-Yinwang, and Magna maintain diversified patent portfolios spanning hardware, software, and sensor fusion, while specialized innovators such as Arbe Robotics, Uhnder, Aptiv, and Metawave are building strong positions in 4D imaging radar and point cloud processing.

The report provides detailed IP profiles of major players and a comprehensive classification of all patent assignees: from automakers and Tier-1s to ADAS specialists, electronics firms, academia, and defense. It highlights both established IP leaders and emerging new entrants in the patent landscape, offering a clear picture of how innovation and competition are distributed across the ecosystem.

Report Highlights

• Global patenting trends: time evolution of publications, filing countries, and legal status.
  
• Competitive intelligence: IP strategies and portfolio strength of both leading patent assignees and IP newcomers.
  
• IP ecosystems: analysis of sub-brands, joint ventures, and co-owned patents.
• Comprehensive segmentation: six application domains (terrestrial, aerial, robotics, space, marine, defense) and five technology layers with eleven enabling techniques, including FMCW, MIMO, beamforming, 4D imaging radar, SAR, ISAR, calibration, point cloud, SLAM, tracking, and AI-driven sensor fusion.
• Focus on key markets: terrestrial applications and 4D imaging radar as the fastest-growing segments.
• In-depth company profiles: detailed IP portfolios of General Motors, Intel-Mobileye, Bosch, Huawei-Yinwang, Magna, and Alphabet-Waymo, covering scope, technical coverage, geographical reach, and notable patents.
• Extensive Excel database: more than 10,600 patent families, with structured segmentations and direct hyperlinks to an updated online platform for advanced searches, portfolio benchmarking, freedom-to-operate analysis, and competitor monitoring.
  

Strategic Insights

This report equips executives, R&D teams, and IP professionals with the tools to:

• Align innovation strategies with patent and technology dynamics.
  
• Strengthen competitive positioning by identifying both IP leaders and fast-moving IP newcomers.
• Secure freedom-to-operate through in-depth portfolio benchmarking and ecosystem mapping.
• Anticipate technological trajectories in one of the most competitive IP battlefields in
  autonomy.