Archives for August 2026

Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

See also IEEE blogpost: https://standards.ieee.org/beyond-standards/how-good-is-the-camera-ieee-4001-gives-answers/ 

How good is your camera, actually? This question is addressed by the new IEEE 4001 standard, developed by a large group of people from the hyperspectral imaging community, recognizing that an improvement over current practice in this field is needed. This standard defines a set of performance characteristics that are directly comparable between cameras. It can be seen as an analog to the EMVA 1288 for image sensors, by defining a similarly comprehensive specification for complete cameras. To serve this purpose, some new characteristics have been developed for IEEE 4001. The standard also defines camera-related metadata that quantify the effects imprinted by the camera on an image. The formal scope of the standard is hyperspectral imaging, but it can be readily adapted to other imaging modalities where it also has potential to be useful. The standard can be downloaded from the IEEE XPLORE site (for free with library access, or through a $133 paywall). Here is an excerpt from the IEEE press release:


Comprehensive, yet minimal, camera characteristics

IEEE 4001 incorporates many conventional camera characteristics, but also some newly developed performance metrics, in order to arrive at a minimal (necessary and sufficient) set that includes parameters of a complete signal model, as well as measures of actual resolution and various nonidealities. Many aspects of camera performance are covered:

Spectral: Spectral range, Number of bands, Spectral peak width, Spectral sampling interval, Equivalent Band Count

Spatial: Pixel format, Field of view, Geometrical pixel field of view, Peak width, Equivalent Pixel Count, Effective spatial fill factor, Spatial distortion, Object distance

Radiometric: Effective throughput, Response nonuniformity, Read noise, Normalized read noise, Dark current, NESR at the noise floor, Saturation capacity, Linearity error, Signal to noise ratio, Dynamic range, Dark correction

Temporal: Maximum frame rate, Integration time range, Synchronization between bands, Dead time

Coregistration: Spatial coregistration error, Spectral coregistration error

Stray light: Stray light apparent reflectance

Data output: Output data level, Real time capability, Synchronization capability, Invalid data flagging

Calibration: Statement of radiometric, spectral, and geometrical accuracy

Other characteristics: Bad pixels, Polarization dependence, Detector type/temperature

Metadata enhancing image exploitation

IEEE 4001 also defines camera-related metadata describing the influence of camera properties on a given image. With IEEE 4001-compliant metadata, it is for example possible to estimate the signal-dependent physical noise amplitude in all pixels and all bands, and to estimate the local magnitude of artifacts due to coregistration error. This can enable more accurate extraction of information from imagery.

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STMicroelectronics unveils new compact direct Time-of-Flight 3D LiDAR module bringing high-resolution spatial awareness to compact edge AI systems with industry-leading resolution and performance

VL53L9 is the first direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) 3D LiDAR all-in-one module in ST’s portfolio, offering a resolution of 2.3K zones, wide field of view, on-chip processing, 100 frames per second, and sensing range from 5 centimeters to 9 meters.

Designed to meet the evolving needs of customers and partners across diverse industries, including robotics, industrial automation, smart buildings, AR/VR, and healthcare.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, today [June 23, 2026] announced the launch of the VL53L9, a compact direct Time-of-Flight 3D LiDAR all-in-one module that sets a new benchmark in high-resolution sensing. The VL53L9 combines state-of-the-art features in a compact and cost-effective package, delivering AI-ready output data for low-compute edge AI systems on small microcontrollers (MCUs) and high-performance sensing across a wide range of applications across robotics, industrial automation, smart buildings, AR/VR, and healthcare.

“VL53L9 demonstrates how far Time-of-Flight sensing has evolved, combining high-resolution depth data, up to 100 frames per second, and a fully integrated architecture in a single compact module. By simplifying integration and reducing system complexity, we enable customers to accelerate the development of applications such as robotics, smart infrastructure, and healthcare monitoring,” said Alexandre Balmefrezol, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Imaging Sub-Group at STMicroelectronics. “This launch reflects our strategy to move beyond standalone sensors and deliver integrated sensing systems that support real-world edge AI.”

“3D sensing demand accelerates across robotics, industrial automation, XR, and intelligent consumer devices. Time-of-Flight technology is expanding beyond smartphones into applications requiring compact, affordable, and precise depth perception, from navigation and people monitoring to gesture recognition and safety. Higher resolution multizone dToF modules are now emerging as key enablers for this next wave of 3D sensing adoption,” said Anas Chalak, Market & Technology Analyst at Yole Group.

ST FlightSense™ VL53L9 is designed for multiple industry use cases:

– Robotics: enhanced small object detection, SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) and obstacle avoidance for autonomous navigation.

– Industrial automation: accurate volume measurement in tanks and bins, improving operational efficiency and inventory management.

– Smart buildings and homes: reliable human presence detection and people counting while preserving user privacy.

– AR/VR and consumer electronics: advanced gesture recognition, body tracking and finger skeleton for immersive user experiences.

– Healthcare: fall detection and monitoring solutions for eldercare and patient safety.

Enhancing 3D sensing with precision and efficiency

The VL53L9 offers an unprecedented 2,268 resolution zones (54×42) with a wide 54°x42° field of view, enabling detailed 3D depth mapping and precise detection of small objects, contours, and edges. Leveraging ST’s proprietary stacked BSI SPAD sensor technology and innovative metasurface optical elements (MOE), the module delivers fast and accurate ranging from less than 5 cm up to 9 meters with up to 1% accuracy and a frame rate of 100 frames per second.

All-in-one sensing data for edge AI and easy integration

The VL53L9’s dual-scan flood illumination replaces traditional dot scanning, reducing motion artifacts, eliminating dead zones, improving small-object detection, and capturing complementary 2D infrared and 3D depth images. Compared to competition, this greatly simplifies post-processing and enables a broad range of edge AI use cases to run efficiently on small MCUs with low compute requirements. The all-in-one module further integrates on-chip dToF processing, a dedicated power management IC, and is fully calibration-free, simplifying integration and reducing system cost and complexity.

Compact form factor

Measuring just 12.8 mm x 6.1 mm x 4.6 mm, the VL53L9 is a reflowable, single-component module compatible with a wide range of cover glass materials. It supports dual power supply operation (1.2 V and 3.3 V) and outputs data via MIPI or I3C interfaces, ensuring compatibility with diverse CPU architectures. The module is certified as Class 1 laser safe, providing reliable and secure operation for end users.

Availability

ST FlightSense™ VL53L9 in mass production in early July 2026 with samples and volume shipments available to customers globally. For more information, visit the VL53L9 product page: https://www.st.com/en/imaging-and-photonics-solutions/vl53l9cx.html 

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Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

Abstracts from the recently concluded SPW2026 in Naples, Italy are now available online:

https://spw2026.org/programme

https://spw2026.org/poster-session-1

https://spw2026.org/poster-session-2 

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Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

Link: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260511959181/en/indie-to-Acquire-CMOS-Image-Sensor-Product-Line-from-ams-OSRAM

indie to Acquire CMOS Image Sensor Product Line from ams OSRAM 

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--indie Semiconductor (Nasdaq: INDI), an automotive solutions innovator, has announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire the fabless CMOS image sensor group from ams OSRAM AG for a total consideration of 40 million euros.

With primary operations in Belgium and Portugal, this product line includes intelligent, high‑performance CMOS image sensors for a broad range of industrial, automation, and physical artificial intelligence (AI) applications. This portfolio of products, IP, and designs aligns with indie’s automotive ADAS sensing solutions and further strengthens the Company’s multimodal sensing capabilities across radar, vision, LiDAR, and ultrasonic.

“By integrating ams’ CMOS imagers with our sensor‑fusion hardware and perception software, we’re able to deliver unparalleled sensing systems for next‑generation autonomous machines, including emerging applications such as humanoid robots, cobots, and AMRs,” said Mark Tyndall, executive vice president of corporate development and investor relations at indie. “This unique carve-out extends our position in sensor‑fusion technology and significantly expands our portfolio of GaN SLED light‑source solutions. Together, these technologies broaden our offerings, opens new customer opportunities, and positions indie to capture a larger share of the rapidly emerging physical AI market.”

Image sensors are a key component of sensor-rich platforms within high-performance visual applications such as humanoids, cobots, and industrial automation. As noted by Research and Markets, the image sensor market is forecasted to grow to over $40 billion by 2030. This market growth is being driven by rising autonomy, safety regulations, and increased adoption of AI-based vision ADAS systems, as well as applications that require multimodal sensing, low-latency, and high-resolution.

The consideration includes a cash payment of 35 million euros paid at closing, and a 5 million euros vendor debt note provided by ams OSRAM. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. It is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026 and be immediately accretive.  

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Image Sensors World        Go to the original article...

Yahoo news July 28, 2026 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/sony-fujifilm-plants-evacuate-7-160448320.html

Sony, Fujifilm plants evacuate as 7.1-magnitude earthquake hits Japan's image sensor hub 

Sony press release July 31, 2026
 
https://www.sony-semicon.com/en/info/2026/2026073101.html

Status of Sony Semiconductor Solutions Group Manufacturing Operations Affected by 2026 Kumamoto Earthquakes (Second Update) 

The current status of the impact on our operations from the earthquake that occurred in the Kumamoto region on July 28, 2026, is as follows:

Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation's Kumamoto Technology Center (located in Kikuyo-machi, Kumamoto Prefecture), which temporarily was halted after the earthquake, has completed safety inspections of its buildings and facilities, and has been carrying out recovery work. As a result, the site is scheduled to resume operations in stages beginning August 4, 2026. The Kumamoto Technology Center is expected to return to its pre-earthquake operating level by mid-August 2026.

Further updates will be provided promptly should any new information become available.

Digital Camera World July 31, 2026 

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/cameras/an-earthquake-has-halted-production-at-the-worlds-largest-camera-sensor-hub-sony-confirms-could-camera-shipments-be-delayed

The largest image sensor plant from Sony – the world’s biggest manufacturer of image sensors – has halted production after an earthquake hit Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28. As of July 31, production still has not resumed, Sony said during an earnings report. 

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