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MDPI Sensors publishes Toyota paper "Small Imaging Depth LIDAR and DCNN-Based Localization for Automated Guided Vehicle" by Seigo Ito, Shigeyoshi Hiratsuka, Mitsuhiko Ohta, Hiroyuki Matsubara, and Masaru Ogawa. The paper belongs to the Special Issue on Imaging Depth Sensors—Sensors, Algorithms and Applications.

"We present our third prototype sensor and a localization method for Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), for which small imaging LIght Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and fusion-based localization are fundamentally important. Our small imaging LIDAR, named the Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) LIDAR, uses a time-of-flight method and SPAD arrays. A SPAD is a highly sensitive photodetector capable of detecting at the single-photon level, and the SPAD LIDAR has two SPAD arrays on the same chip for detection of laser light and environmental light. Therefore, the SPAD LIDAR simultaneously outputs range image data and monocular image data with the same coordinate system and does not require external calibration among outputs. As AGVs travel both indoors and outdoors with vibration, this calibration-less structure is particularly useful for AGV applications."

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PRWeb: Bellus3D presents its structured light camera for face recognition in smartphones:

"Bellus3D worked closely with Spreadtrum to define and implement a dual-sensor structured light depth camera module that captures up to 200k 3D points with sub-millimeter depth accuracy. The new reference design contains two NIR sensors and a structured light projector, and offers greater depth resolution than the single-sensor structured light camera design deployed by iPhone X. It enables smartphone manufacturers to use off-the-shelf components to reduce costs and streamlines smartphone manufacturing by relaxing the tight calibration tolerances associated with single-sensor structured light depth camera module designs. In addition, Bellus3D software can automatically recalibrate the depth camera module after a smartphone is accidently dropped, which otherwise may require the product to be returned to the manufacturer for repair."

The camera specifications:

• Two 1 MP IR sensors (1280 x 800)
• One 2MP Color sensor (1600 x 1200)
• Two Infrared structured light VCSEL projectors
• Working range: 25cm to 60cm (optimal at 30-45cm)

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PRNewswire: Seek Thermal presents its QVGA thermal imaging camera for automotive aftermarket priced at under $999. The thermal image camera easily integrates with existing automotive infotainment systems, making it easier than ever to add high-resolution thermal imaging to your vehicle at low price point.

"The goal of thermal imaging is simple: to give drivers information about their surroundings and help them react to potential hazards," said Tim LeBeau of Seek Thermal. "Risky driving factors such as darkness, rain, fog, snow, and glare become far less dangerous when a driver has access to real-time thermal data. These benefits will also be key in increasing safety in autonomous vehicles. Due to high cost though, this technology has only been available in a select number of high-end automobiles. It is our mission to provide life-saving technology that is available to everyone."

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BusinessWire: Ambarella introduces the CV22 camera SoC, the second chip in the CVflow family, combining image processing, 4Kp60 video encoding and CVflow computer vision processing in a single, low power design in 10nm process. The CV22’s CVflow architecture provides the DNN processing for the next generation of home monitoring, automotive, drone and wearable cameras.

“CV22 enables customers to deploy cameras with high-performance deep-learning capabilities,” said Fermi Wang, CEO of Ambarella. “Compared with inefficient CPU and GPU solutions, CV22 provides powerful computer vision performance combined with high-quality image processing, efficient video encoding and the low-power operation required to be deployed in mass production. It will enable a new level of intelligence in cameras, ranging from person recognition in home monitoring cameras to advanced ADAS capabilities in automobiles.”

CV22 SoC features:

• CVflow processor with CNN/deep learning support
• 4Kp60/8-Megapixel AVC and HEVC encoding with multi-stream support
• Real-time hardware-accelerated 360-degree de-warping and Lens Distortion Correction (LDC) engine
• Multi-channel ISP with up to 800-Megapixel/s input pixel rate
• Multi-exposure HDR and WDR processing
• LED flicker mitigation
• SmartAVC and SmartHEVC intelligent rate control for lowest bitrates in security applications
• Multi-sensor support for multi-imager security cameras, 3-channel electronic mirror and 4-channel AVM systems

BusinessWire: GEO Semiconductor announces the GW5200 and GW5400 CVP’s for automotive cameras. The GW5400 has in-camera computer vision to enable ADAS functionality.

“The GW5 product is a major advance as automotive camera technologies evolve to combine viewing and computer vision applications in a single camera. At GEO we are focused on bringing safety benefits to the edge by adding computer vision and ADAS to lower cost automotive camera solutions,” said Dave Orton, GEO CEO, “with design wins at many of the major automotive OEM’s, we are looking to build on our market success by enabling smart backup camera, eMirror, Driver Monitoring Systems, and other innovative automotive camera solutions.”

Nvidia unveils Xavier processor with AI capabilities for its Drive platform. With more than 9 billion transistors, Xavier is said to be the most complex SoC ever created, representing the work of more than 2,000 NVIDIA engineers over a four-year period, and an investment of $2 billion in R&D.

It’s built around a custom 8-core CPU, a new 512-core Volta GPU, a new deep learning accelerator, new computer vision accelerators and new 8K HDR video processors. All previous NVIDIA DRIVE software development carries over and runs. DRIVE Xavier puts more processing power to work using less energy, delivering 30 trillion operations per second while consuming just 30 watts. It’s 15 times more energy efficient than our previous generation architecture.

GlobeNewsWire: NVIDIA, ZF and Baidu today announced that they are creating a production-ready AI autonomous vehicle platform designed for China, the world’s largest automotive market.

PRNewswire: OMRON too is putting AI to work to promote automotive safety. OMRON VOR technology can detect early-stage signs of drowsiness by sensing eye movements using a remotely installed automotive camera. While other current technology typically observes blinking to detect drowsy driving, OMRON's new technology observes the correlation between head and eye movements – a reflex motion that is difficult for drivers to control.

This technology enables simultaneous measurement of the driver's gaze angle and 3-D eye position using a single camera for highly precise gaze detection with accuracy of plus or minus 1 degree. By understanding the movement of the driver’s pupil, OMRON's VOR system can detect signs of drowsiness one to two minutes before the driver is even aware he or she feels sleepy, and promote safe driving.

"Artificial intelligence identifies the expression and attitude of the driver and analyzes that data over time to determine if the driver is paying attention to the road or incapacitated. The car can accordingly enact safety measures, like automatic control, warnings or actions to make our roads safer," says Deron Jackson, CTO of OMRON Adept Technologies.


PRNewswire: Rockchip released its first AI processor RK3399Pro, an one-stop turnkey solution for AI. Computing performance of its NPU (Neural Network Processing Unit) reaches 2.4TOPs. Its NPU computing performance is said to be 150% higher than other same type NPU processor; the power consumption is less than 1%, comparing with other solutions adopting GPU as AI computing unit.

MIT Technology Review: Intel shows its Loihi AI processor that learns to recognize objects in pictures captured by a webcam. The new chip uses about a thousandth as much power as a conventional processor.




Update: PRNewswire: MediaTek reveals more detailed its ongoing AI platform strategy to enable AI edge computing with its NeuroPilot AI platform. Through a combination of hardware and software, an AI processing unit (APU), and NeuroPilot SDK, MediaTek intends to bring AI across its wide-ranging portfolio that of consumer products: smartphones, smart homes, autos and more.

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BusinessWire: In a surprise move, Velodyne announced a volume increase and cost reduction of its most popular LiDAR product, the VLP-16. Demand for the VLP-16 was off the charts in 2017, and in just a matter of days the demand has increased even more. “With this cost reduction, we’ll be able to get more Pucks into the hands of more customers, support the growing number of autonomous vehicle development fleets around the world, and start creating a better tomorrow,” said David Hall, Velodyne CEO and Founder.

BusinessWire: AEye announces its AE100 iDAR:

“The AE100 is a game-changer for the autonomous vehicle and ADAS markets, as it makes iDAR technology commercially available for the first time,” said Luis Dussan, founder and CEO of AEye. “iDAR-based robotic perception allows sensors to mimic the visual cortex – bringing real-time intelligence to data collection. As a result, the system not only captures everything in a scene - it actually brings higher resolution to key objects and exceeds industry required speeds and distances. By solving for the limitations of first generation LiDAR-only solutions, AEye is enabling the safe, timely rollout of failsafe commercial autonomous vehicles.”

Leveraging a more powerful, yet safer, 1550-nm laser, AEye’s adoptive-scanning iDAR AE100 system is said to be able to interrogate 100% of the scene, while typical fixed pattern LiDAR systems are only capable of interrogating 6% of any scene, due to huge vertical gaps inherent in raster or spinning systems. With its embedded intelligence, the AE100 offers key advantages:

• Coverage: The AE100 can use dynamic patterns for mapping the environment, as it is not tied to one fixed mode. In evaluating any given scene, AE100’s software definable scanning delivers more than 10x the 3D resolution over legacy systems.
• Speed: It’s 3x faster, and does not miss any objects between scans while identifying and solving any temporal anomalies. This reduces scan gaps, resulting in more than 25 feet of faster response distance at average highway speeds – more than two car lengths.
• Range: The AE100 extends effective range at comparable resolution by 7-10x over currently deployed LiDAR systems.

Customizable general performance specifications include up to 200Hz frame rates, less than 60μs object or blob revisit rates, software-definable resolution of .09 degrees H/V, and a maximum range of 300-400 meters. It will have a limited release in mid- 2018, and a larger commercial release later in Q3.


BusinessWire: Cepton announces a partnership with May Mobility, the developer of autonomous driving technology to replace an existing transportation solution with self-driving fleet vehicles on public roads. “Cepton is driving the high performance LiDAR evolution to break the $1,000 price point; we are very excited about our collaboration and what it will mean for the future of the industry,” said Edwin Olson, May Mobility CEO and Co-Founder. Cepton LiDARs feature a patented frictionless micro-motion technology that eliminates large spinning parts and does not rely on custom components. The result is faster, more scalable production at a lower price.

GlobeNewsWire: TetraVue partners with NVIDIA, CVedia and AGC/Wideye for next generation ADAS and self-driving applications. TetraVue’s solid-state 4D LIDAR cameras capture multi-megapixel images at up to 30 fps with accurate depth for each individual pixel, said to be over 100x more spatial and motion data than competing low resolution scanning LIDARs.

Tetravue presents its "never before seen high definition" image example with per-pixel depth data:


PRNewswire: NAVYA (France) introduces the AUTONOM CAB said to be the first time in North America (What about Waymo service in Phoenix?) AUTONOM CAB uses a sophisticated multi-sensor technology with no fewer than 10 Lidar sensors, 6 cameras, 4 radars, 2 GNSS antennae and 1 inertial measurement unit. These sensors provide at least a triple redundancy across all functions, guaranteeing exceptional reliability.

PRNewswire: It turns out that Navya actually relies on Valeo Autonom Cab platform. This all-electric, driverless vehicle is fitted with seven Valeo SCALA laser scanners (which appear to be re-branded Ibeo products). The SCALA is said to be the first and only mass-produced LiDAR scanner on the market designed specifically for cars, and is a key component of the autonomous vehicle.

BusinessWire: The remaining three LiDARs on Navya autonomous car are Velodyne low-end VLP-16.

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PRNewswire: OmniVision introduces the OV9738, a 1/9" 1.4um RGB-Ir sensor with PureCel Plus pixel supporting both color and IR imaging. The OV9738 can lower overall system cost, and can bring IR-based biometric capabilities for facial recognition, as well as gesture interfaces, to a broader range of devices, including mainstream laptops and mobile devices. The OV9738 image sensor is currently available for sampling.

Market analysts predict that the global facial recognition market will reach $7.75b by 2022. According to a recent report by Variant Market Research, the gesture-recognition market is expected to reach $43.6b by 2024.

PRNewswire: OmniVision announces the OV01A product family of image sensors, designed specifically for notebook computers with ultra-thin bezels. The OV01A is built on OmniVision's 1.12-µm PureCel Plus stacked architecture, with a very small form factor for space-constrained applications such as narrow-bezel notebooks and handheld mobile devices.

"In today's high-end clamshell notebooks, camera module size is one of a few limiting factors when designing devices with ever-narrower bezels," said Arun Jayaseelan, Senior Marketing Manager at OmniVision. "The OV01A enables a camera module size of 2.5 mm in the 'y' dimension, which allows developers to create notebook bezel designs that are narrower than ever before."

This sensor's target module package size is also less than 2 mm in the "z" dimension, enabling ultra-thin bezels. Additionally, pad locations and image array offsets are optimized for smaller module sizes.

This product family is available in three versions:

• OV01A10: RGB camera for Bayer color imaging in the visible range
• OV01A1B: monochrome IR camera for biometric imaging; optimized for high NIR QE
• OV01A1S: RGB-Ir, combining RGB and IR imaging capabilities in a single sensor

The need for IR applications like biometric authentication in consumer devices demands sensors that can combine both RGB and IR imaging. This is important for achieving accurate gesture and facial recognition in applications such as Windows Hello.

The OV01A image sensors are currently sampling and are expected to start volume production in Q1 2018.

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BusinessWire: ON Semiconductor announces a 1/3.2-inch BSI 4MP CMOS sensor delivering 120fps at full resolution. The sensor’s embedded functionality allows customers to capture a color image and simultaneous depth map from a single device; a feature that is normally only possible when using a second sensor for independent depth mapping.

Simultaneous video and depth mapping is enabled by ON Semiconductor’s Super Depth technology. Techniques in the sensor, CFA and the micro-lens create a data stream containing both image and depth data. This data is combined via an algorithm to deliver a 30 fps video stream and depth map of anything within one meter of the camera. This allows capabilities such as interpretation of hand gestures to control smart IoT devices as well as the creation of simple 3D models for AR/VR use.

The device offers low-power performance of 125mW when operating with a 4MP data stream at 30 fps; this reduces to just 8mW in low power monitoring mode - especially valuable in battery-powered applications.

“What really sets it apart is simultaneous depth mapping capability,” said Gianluca Colli, VP and GM of Consumer Solution Division at ON Semiconductor. “This is unprecedented in a single-sensor solution and, along with the low power consumption, opens up a multitude of interactive IoT and AR/VR applications. Now our customers can use a single camera where two, with all the design, cost and implementation issues, would have been required in the past. We are honored to be recognized at CES 2018 for this unique technology.”

The AR0430 engineering samples are available in bare die format, and will be in full production later in Q1’ 2018.

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PMD presents what it calls the world's smallest 3D camera, useful for face unlock in smartphones and other applications:



BusinessWire: The IRS238XC features in each pixel the Suppression of Background Illumination (SBI) circuitry, which enables outdoor depth sensing in full sunlight. The 38,000 pixels of the IRS238XC are said to provide a higher resolution than any existing integrable 3D depth sensing chip and are tuned to work also at 940nm wavelength to improve outdoor operation.

The reference camera modules for the IRS238XC have a footprint of 12mm x 8mm, including imager, lens, IR emitter and all relevant circuitries and therefore said to be the smallest 3D camera modules available worldwide.

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Digitimes Research forecasts that 3D sensing market, which receives a lot of attention since iPhone X Face ID technology introduces in November 2017, will reach $9-10 billion by 2020.

3D sensing can also be applied to industrial automation, aerospace, smart medical care and smart home-use devices.

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FLIR publishes a Youtube video on thermal camera advantages in ADAS:

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MDPI Special Issue on 2017 International Image Sensor Workshop publishes UK Open University paper "Design and Performance of a Pinned Photodiode CMOS Image Sensor Using Reverse Substrate Bias" by Konstantin Stefanov, Andrew Clarke, James Ivory, and Andrew Holland. The paper presents a scheme of pixel implants to extend the depletion and improve IR QE:

"The sensor uses traditional PPDs with one additional deep implantation step to suppress the parasitic reverse currents, and can be fully depleted. The first prototypes have been manufactured on an 18 µm thick, 1000 Ω·cm epitaxial silicon wafers using 180 nm PPD image sensor process. Both front-side illuminated (FSI) and back-side illuminated (BSI) devices were manufactured in collaboration with Teledyne e2v. The characterization results from a number of arrays of 10 µm and 5.4 µm PPD pixels, with different shape, the size and the depth of the new implant are in good agreement with device simulations. The new pixels could be reverse-biased without parasitic leakage currents well beyond full depletion, and demonstrate nearly identical optical response to the reference non-modified pixels. The observed excessive charge sharing in some pixel variants is shown to not be a limiting factor in operation. This development promises to realize monolithic PPD CIS with large depleted thickness and correspondingly high quantum efficiency at near-infrared and soft X-ray wavelengths."

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PresseAgentur: Infineon and PMD announce a ToF module for 3D Face Unlock functionality in smartphones. The module footprint is less than 12 mm x 8 mm, including the receiving optics and VCSEL illumination. The REAL3 chip has 38,000 pixels with each pixel featuring the unique Suppression of Background Illumination (SBI) circuitry. It is tuned to work at 940nm infrared light making the projected light invisible and improving the outdoor performance. Furthermore, the IRS238xC integrates a dedicated function to support Laser-Class-1 safety level of the complete solution.

Samples of the new Infineon 3D image sensor chip are already available. Volume production is scheduled to start in Q4 2018. Software partners like Sensible Vision Inc. and IDEMIA offer application software for user face detection and authentication.

Market forecasts are said to expect smartphones with 3D sensing functionality to increase from about 50 million units in the year 2017 to roughly 290 million units in 2019.


Infineon also releases a white paper about ToF advantages over the structured light and stereo approaches:

• The ToF image sensor chip directly measures the distance to objects. In other 3D technologies, the distance is calculated via complex algorithms. Thus, ToF is faster, more reliable and is saving power at the application processor.
• Modulated infrared light is emitted to the whole scenery. With each of its 38,000 pixels, the 3D image sensor chip measures the time the infrared light takes to travel from the camera to the object and back again. Each pixel detects the phase delay of the reflected light resulting in highly reliable distance information and, simultaneously, a grey scale picture of the complete scene: face authentication becomes possible even through a single frame data acquisition.
• A microlens is applied to each pixel in a specific manufacturing step developed by Infineon. Thus, despite the small pixel size of 14 x 14µm the high optical sensitivity provides very low power consumption during operation.
• ToF is unbeatable in outdoor performance. The new image sensor chip is tuned to work at 940 nm and features the unique Suppression of Background Illumination (SBI) circuitry in each pixel. Structured light cameras do not deliver any usable depth data in such sunny conditions, even with twice the illumination peak power.
• The ToF camera module design is simple and robust. The camera consists of only two key components: the image sensor chip and the illumination component, without the need of any mechanical baseline between them. The result are very small camera modules with a high flexibility of integration into a mobile phone and a lean and fast calibration procedure. The bill-of-material (BoM) is expected to be less than USD 10 in high volume in 2019.

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PRNewswire: OmniVision and Taiwan-based VATICS announce a Nyxel IR-enhanced sensor-based IP camera reference design for 5MP surveillance systems.

"Our new M5S SoC is a fully integrated SoC, combining an ARM Cortex processor core, a CEVA DSP, the SmartHEVC/AVC new generation of image signal processor, a high-performance de-warping hard core, and advanced video and audio analytics. This SoC integration allows developers to create distinctive features in their applications, including 180°/360° wide-angle professional IP cameras with advanced video analytics for surveillance scenes under low- and no-light conditions using OmniVision's OS05A20 sensor," said Joseph Wei, senior marketing director at VATICS. "The M5S' low power, high dynamic range, intelligent video and audio, plus smart H.264 and H.265 can make applications such as battery-powered home and doorbell cameras more secure, accessible and smarter, while extending battery life."

"Today's surveillance cameras often fail to capture adequate details at night, making it difficult to identify intruders. Furthermore, many systems use power-hungry LEDs to augment lighting, which not only increases power consumption but also reveals the location of hidden cameras," said Roger Yeung, product marketing manager at OmniVision. "Our new OS05A20 image sensor with Nyxel technology tackles these problems with its high sensitivity to NIR light. Since NIR photons from ambient light are more prevalent at night, the OS05A20 can capture higher-resolution images by itself, reducing the need for augmented lighting."

Vatics M550S SoC

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DxOMark email distribution on 2017 milestones reports the following, among many other things:

"We’ve had an important internal change as well: In September, DxOMark Image Labs was spun off from DxO Labs. DxOMark Image Labs is now a privately-owned, independent company. As such, we continue to pursue the development and commercialization of image quality solutions and services that support our customers in designing the best-quality camera systems for a range of markets, including smartphones, DSC/DSLRs, drones, action cams, surveillance, and automotive."

Now, DxOMark reports are supposed to be more objective and less affected by DxO Labs products, such as DxO One camera.

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CEVA unveils NeuPro, a specialized Artificial Intelligence (AI) processor family for deep learning inference at the edge. This new family of dedicated AI processors offers a performance ranging from 2 Tera Ops Per Second (TOPS) for the entry-level processor to 12.5 TOPS for the most advanced configuration.

The NeuPro family comprises four AI processors offering different levels of parallel processing:

• NP500 is the smallest processor, including 512 MAC units and targeting IoT, wearables and cameras
• NP1000 includes 1024 MAC units and targets mid-range smartphones, ADAS, industrial applications and AR/VR headsets
• NP2000 includes 2048 MAC units and targets high-end smartphones, surveillance, robots and drones
• NP4000 includes 4096 MAC units for high-performance edge processing in enterprise surveillance and autonomous driving

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Digitimes: Altek announces AL6100, a stereo 3D-depth sensing and algorithm chip solution.

Altek offered its first generation AL 3200 in 2016. The first-generation chip solution was capable of real-time 30fps depth computing, the company said. AL3200 has been adopted by many China-based smartphone vendors, with cumulative shipments exceeding 10 million units, Altek says.

AL6100, an upgraded version of AL 3200, is combined with infrared light control to improve quality of information on depth of images and depth computing. AL6100 can be used in smartphones, surveillance cameras, autonomous driving, smart-home devices, drones and cleaning robots and will come into production in Q1 2018.

Altek 2015 presentation talks about its first-gen solution:

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PRWeb: DIBOTICS and automotive glass manufacturer AGC AUTOMOTIVE were able to integrate LiDAR sensors behind the windshield. The reasons why integration of LiDAR inside the vehicle is said to be a major step for industry:

• The LiDAR sensor is fully protected inside the vehicle cabin and does not require extensive sealing
• The aperture of the LiDAR is kept clear in all conditions with windshield features (wipers, defrosting, …)
• LiDAR is fully effective in a high mounting position, for the best long-range vision
• The LiDAR data can be combined with other sensors around the car to offer the best redundancy of data
• Each sensor is totally hidden inside the vehicle, behind IR glass windshield and/or behind IR glass trims

As automotive glass manufacturer AGC Automotive has created a dedicated entity, totally devoted to autonomous vehicles and LiDAR integration: WIDEYE:


Ars Technica believes that cheaper and better LiDARs are right around the corner:

"Nobody knows how long it will take to build cost-effective automotive-grade lidar. But all of the experts we talked to were optimistic. They pointed to the many previous generations of technology—from handheld calculators to antilock brakes—that became radically cheaper as they were manufactured at scale. Lidar appears to be on a similar trajectory, suggesting that in the long run, lidar costs won't be a barrier to mainstream adoption of self-driving cars."

Just 3 months after Platform 2.1 presentation, Toyota Research Institute (TRI) unveils its next-generation automated driving research vehicle, Platform 3.0, heavily relying on Luminar LiDARs:

"The Luminar LIDAR system with 200-meter range, which had only tracked the forward direction on TRI’s previous test platform, now covers the vehicle’s complete 360-degree perimeter. This is enabled by four high-resolution LIDAR scanning heads, which precisely detect objects in the environment including notoriously difficult-to-see dark objects.

Shorter-range LIDAR sensors [appear to be Velodyne] are positioned low on all four sides of the vehicle – one in each front quarter panel and one each on the front and rear bumpers. These can detect low-level and smaller objects near the car like children and debris in the roadway. The new platform remains flexible for incorporating future breakthrough technology as it becomes available."




BusinessWire: Quanergy announces opening of a new production factory in Sunnyvale, CA. The produces Quanergy’s S3 solid state LiDAR sensor. With the commissioning of this facility, Quanergy says it is the only company to mass produce solid state 3D LiDAR sensors to date.

“This manufacturing facility represents our most significant milestone to date in realizing Quanergy’s goal to bring capable, reliable, and affordable electronically-steered solid state LiDAR sensors to mass market,” said Louay Eldada, founder and CEO of Quanergy.

"The sales price of the S3 currently varies between several hundred and a few hundred dollars (so says PR text), depending on the quantity ordered. With higher levels of integration in future sensor generations on the product roadmap, Quanergy estimates the price will drop below $100 per sensor."

The initial goal is to reach a 200,000-unit yearly production pace by the second half of 2018 and then push that to 1 million sensors a year from 2019, according to Quanergy, adds Forbes.

Quanergy automated LiDAR factory

Quanergy S3 LiDAR

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The new Samsung Exynos 9 Series 9810 AP has a number of optimizations for imaging and video in smartphones:

"Exynos 9810 introduces sophisticated features to enhance user experiences with neural network-based deep learning and stronger security on the most advanced mobile devices. This cutting-edge technology allows the processor to accurately recognize people or items in photos for fast image searching or categorization, or through depth sensing, scan a user’s face in 3D for hybrid face detection. By utilizing both hardware and software, hybrid face detection enables realistic face-tracking filters as well as stronger security when unlocking a device with one’s face. For added security, the processor has a separate security processing unit to safeguard vital personal data such as facial, iris and fingerprint information.

The upgraded MFC [multi-format codec] supports video recording and playback at up to UHD resolution at 120 frames per second (fps). With 10-bit HEVC (high efficiency video coding) and VP9 support, the MFC can render 1,024 different tones for each primary color (red, green and blue)."

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Forza Silicon publishes a Youtube video on pixel size trade-offs:

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PRNewswire: OmniVision announces the OX03A10, a 2.4MP sensor for rear-view and 360-degree surround-view automotive cameras. The OX03A10 leverages OmniVision's BSI-2 and Deep Well pixel technologies.

"With a dual-exposure HDR of 120 dB and industry-leading low-light sensitivity, the OX03A10 meets the automotive industry's most demanding requirements," said Will Foote, senior automotive marketing manager at OmniVision Technologies. "Acceptance by multiple tier-1 manufacturers are evidence that the industry appreciates the performance advantages and packaging options that this image sensor offers."

The OX03A10 addresses several issues with existing HDR image sensors, such as motion artifacts when taking multiple images and performance lags in low-light conditions. The OX03A10's HDR can deliver high quality images at up to 90 dB with single exposure and no motion artifacts, and up to 120 dB with double exposure. Additionally, OmniVision's state-of-the-art BSI-2 technology allows the sensor to combine low power consumption with superior image quality.

The OX03A10 image sensors are currently sampling.


PRNewswire: OmniVision also announces the OX01B40, a color CMOS sensor and an ISP, connected together in a single, 8.5 x 8.5 mm package. The OX01B40 system-in-package (SiP) can deliver 120 dB HDR for automotive cameras. The OX01B40, on the other hand, provides three options: digital video port (DVP), MIPI serial interface, and NTSC analog interface.

"Connecting the image sensor and ISP in a single package provides the smallest form factor for HD cameras today, enabling the design of an automotive viewing camera that consumers won't even notice," said Andy Hanvey, Sr. Staff marketing manager at OmniVision. "At the same time, we keep system costs down and reduce developers' engineering issues by supporting three different interfaces and including all the features their customers want to see in a single package."

The OX01B40 features include:

• 2.8-micron OmniBSI-2 Deep Well pixel, enabling best in class low light performance
• HDR ISP
• Local and global tone-mapping support
• Distortion and perspective correction, which creates undistorted images at up to a 190-degree angle
• Overlay feature that supports static and dynamic overlays of up to eight independent layers
• Low power consumption below 400 mW

The OX01B40 is sampling now, with volume production expected in Q4 2018.

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BusinessWire: ON Semiconductor announced a scalable family of CMOS sensors ADAS and autonomous driving. The new family offers a choice of imaging devices based on a common platform and feature set. The AR0820AT, AR0220AT and AR0138AT sensors have resolutions scaling from 8.3MP down to 1.2MP, with improved low-light performance from 4.2 µm pixels.

“As the number of image sensors on a vehicle increases, having a scalable platform with common core features and pixel architecture becomes even more important for automakers to deliver new safety and self-driving features to market quickly and efficiently,” said Ross Jatou, VP and GM of the Automotive Solution Division at ON Semiconductor. “Our deep engagement with customers and the advanced features of our new image sensor family enable them to bridge development efforts across ADAS and autonomous driving programs.”

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BusinessWire: Xperi with its Invensas division presents a range of DBI and ZiBond milestones:

• Successful transfer of DBI technology to SMIC, one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world, and Teledyne DALSA, one of the world’s foremost pure-play MEMS foundries, for image sensor and MEMS devices for mobile, automotive, consumer electronics and other markets.
• Sony’s back-side illuminated (BSI) image sensor utilizes DBI technology and is integrated into many of the latest premium smartphone models, including the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus and Apple iPhone X, 8 and 8 Plus.
• Invensas’ bonding technology has been licensed by OmniVison.
• ZiBond technology is used in the industry’s first three-layer stacked CMOS image sensor with DRAM for smartphones from Sony.

Xperi image processing division Fotonation presents its IP products lineup:

• IrisXR – First in its class, highly secure (a false acceptance rate of 1 in 10 million) and with state-of-the-art liveliness detection to prevent spoofing, IrisXR is a product for the AR, VR and MR markets.
• 3D Face Recognition – Tapping into the capabilities of dual camera systems, 3DFR unleashes unprecedented accuracy in liveliness detection.
• Driver Identification – Seamless and accurate in-cabin security and customization options, based on driver identity via iris recognition technology.
• Electronic Image Stabilization – Software-hardware EIS implementation that delivers the best video experience on the move by correcting for six degrees of freedom and all distortion types.
• Face Detection X – Driven by convolutional neural networks (CNN) technology, Face Detection X is FotoNation's next-generation face analytics technology.
• Image Processing Unit – A fully programmable specialized IP core that delivers more than 20 pre-integrated features. It is highly customizable depending on the targeted market, be it mobile, home or auto.
• VR Portrait Enhancement – FotoNation’s seventh-generation face beautification suite brings together 19 dedicated features that combine the best imaging technologies available for flawless portraits in a spherical VR display space.

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LEDInside, a subsidiary of TrendForce, publishes a number of articles on future on 3D sensing:

"What impacts will 3D sensing have on smartphones after becoming an overnight sensation because of iPhone?"
"3D Sensing: Present and Future"
"3D Facial Recognition Making Its Way in Technology Ecosystems"
"Most-Mentioned Companies You Will Hear When Speaking of 3D Sensing"

Few images from the articles:


There is also an article on iris scanning "Iris Scanning and Facial Recognition Making Their Way into Consumer Electronics; IR LED Market Becomes the New Blue Ocean:"

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The 1st International SPAD Sensor Workshop will be held on Feb. 26-28, 2018 in Swiss Alps. The workshop is sponsored by IISS with financial support by SensL, STMicroelectronics, AMS, XFab, TSMC, MPD, Fastree3D, and TowerJazz. The Steering Committee selected over 20 invited speakers from the SPAD community that have been active in one of the big three themes of the workshop: SPAD Technology, Architectures, and Applications.

Online registration will open Wednesday January 10th 2018 at 8:00 am (Swiss time) and will close when maximum attendance is reached.

The Workshop location - village Christophe Racat

SPAD Workshop Agenda

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PRNewswire: OmniVision introduced the 1/2.8-inch 24MP OV24A family, built on the PureCel Plus stacked die architecture. These are OmniVision’s first 0.9um pixel sensors for smartphone applications. The PureCel Plus stacked die 0.9um pixel leverages multiple generations of pixel technologies to match the latest 1.0um pixel QE.

The OV24A sensor family consists of three products: the OV24A1Q, OV24A1B and OV24A10. All three versions of the OV24A sensors can support PDAF. The OV24A1Q, with its unique 4-cell color filter pattern, is ideal for front-facing camera applications. This sensor has an on-chip, in-pixel binning feature that captures four times more light photons than a regular 0.9um pixel for better image quality in low-light conditions. Additionally, an application can recover an image to full 24Mp resolution, when paired with OmniVision’s software.

The OV24A1B (monochrome) and OV24A10 (Bayer) are used for main-camera and/or dual-camera configurations, enabling zoom and Bokeh features, and improved low-light performance.

Additionally, increasing image quality for the rear-facing main smartphone camera remains of the utmost importance to most consumers. When it is paired in a dual-camera configuration, the OV24A10 and/or OV24A1B sensors’ 24Mp resolution provides a higher zoom ratio, portrait mode effect, and higher quality still images and video in low light.

The OV24A1Q and OV24A10 provide HDR for still images, as well as HDR video with full resolution at 30fps.

Recent studies have predicted that millennials will take over 25,000 selfies during their lifetime. Image quality is becoming an increasingly important factor in this demographic’s smartphone buying decisions. “Smartphone image quality is essential to many consumers, and social media has particularly inspired millennials to make good use of high-resolution front-facing cameras,” said James Liu, product marketing manager at OmniVision. “Our OV24A image sensor family was developed to address the needs of these savvy consumers, who expect the highest quality stills and videos from their smartphones.”

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ElectronicsMaker: Hisense Group and its subsidiary Hisense TransTech and Corephotonics unveil TransportEye stereo camera, said to have the longest detection range currently supported by any automotive stereo camera – reaching distances of up to 100m with a camera baseline of just 12cm.

“This strategic collaboration with Hisense Group is an important milestone for Corephotonics. It extends our reach beyond the mobile sector into exciting new vertical markets, such as automotive,” states David Mendlovic, CEO of Corephotonics. “The combination of our unique innovations in camera design and computational imaging, together with Hisense’s technologies and extensive production capabilities has proven essential for the success of this venture.”


The companies Youtube video demos the camera performance:

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JPL image sensing leader Shouleh Nikzad has been elected to the rank of Fellow in the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The NAI Fellows Selection Committee chose her for induction as she “demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.”

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GlobeNewsWire: DSP Group, Emza Visual Sense, and Himax announce the WiseEye IoT, said to be the industry’s first ultra-low power, always-on, intelligent visual sensor adding human presence awareness for consumer appliances and industrial IoT applications.

DSPG’s ULE and SmartVoice solutions, Emza’s machine vision algorithms, and Himax’s low power CMOS Sensor yield a commercially available sensor capable of detecting, localizing, counting and profiling people.

“Machine learning-based sensors enhance the intelligence and functionality of any device, and our trainable WiseEye IoT solution aims at bringing these capabilities to the vast and largely untapped IoT space in both consumer and industrial domains,” said Yoram Zylberberg, CEO of Emza Visual Sense. “In DSP Group, we found a unique combination of offering that fits any IoT supplier – a low power SoC that can serve as a computing platform for our advanced algorithm and ULE modules for easy integration with IoT systems.”

“Himax CMOS Image Sensor, HM01B0, is the first to be specially designed to benefit the computer vision algorithm and we are excited to be a part of this sophisticated new joint offering from Emza and DSP Group,” commented Amit Mittra, CTO of Himax Imaging. “Low power and high performance are critical to the success of this application. Using our CMOS Image Sensor gives WiseEye the ability to bring computer vision to new applications that have been hard to reach before due to cost, performance, and power constraints.”

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BusinessWire: Velodyne LiDAR announces a cost reduction for its most popular LiDAR sensor. The VLP-16 is now offered to customers around the world for up to a 50% cost reduction.

“Demand for our VLP-16s grew tremendously in 2017. As a result, we increased capacity and now can pass along savings as cost reduction to our customers,” said David Hall, Founder and CEO, Velodyne LiDAR. “We want to make 2018 a year of optimism for the autonomous vehicle, especially as the first waves of robocabs hit the road. Our goal is the democratization of transportation safety by making it accessible to every man, woman, and child in the world as quickly as possible.”

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