Car sensors a $10 billion market in 2006

Sales of silicon-based car sensors will reach more than $10 billion this year, up 11 percent from last year, according to a new report from research firm Strategy Analytics.

That means carmakers plan to outfit more vehicles with fancy features such as lane-departure warnings, which are still new to only a few luxury cars. Lane-departure warnings, with the use of infrared optics and cameras, alert drivers when they're headed off-road or into another car's lane.

Similarly, sensors for boosting car performance and safety will also drive the market, according to the report. So much so that Strategy Analytics expects sales for automotive sensors to hit $15.8 billion by 2012. Start your engines, chipmakers.