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inVISION Days Conference presentations are now available online.

The first day of the inVISION Days Conference will give an overview of current developments in cameras and lenses, such as new image sensors for applications outside the visible range, high-speed interfaces... The panel discussion will explore what to expect next in image sensors.

All webinars are available for free (create a login account first):
https://openwebinarworld.com/en/webinar/invision-days-day-1-cameras/#video_library
 

Session 1: Machine Vision Cameras
Session 2: Optics & Lenses
Session 3: High-Speed Vision

At the first inVISION Day Metrology current applications and new technologies will be presented at the four sessions 3D Scanner, Inline Metrology, Surface Metrology, CT & X-Ray. The free online conference will be completed by a keynote speech, the panel discussion 'Metrology in the Digital Age' and the EMVA Pitches, where four start-up companies will present their innovations. You can find more information under invdays.com/metrology.

https://openwebinarworld.com/en/webinar/invision-day-metrology/
 
Session 1: 3D Scanner
Session 2: Inline Metrology
Session 3: Surface Metrology
Session 4: CT & X-ray

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Link: https://petapixel.com/2023/06/12/sphere-studios-big-sky-cinema-camera-features-an-insane-18k-sensor/

Sphere Studios’ Big Sky Cinema Camera Features an Insane 18K Sensor

Sphere Studios has developed a brand new type of cinema camera called The Big Sky. It features a single 316-megapixel HDR image sensor that the company says is a 40x resolution increase over existing 4K cameras and PetaPixel was given an exclusive look at the incredible technology.

 

Those who have visited Las Vegas in the last few years may have noticed the construction of a giant sphere building near the Venetian Hotel. Set to open in the fall of 2023, the Sphere Entertainment Co has boasted that this new facility will provide “immersive experiences at an unparalleled scale” featuring a 580,000 square-foot LED display and the largest LED screen on Earth.

As PetaPixel covered last fall, the venue will house the world’s highest resolution LED screen: a 160,000 square-foot display plane that will wrap up, over, and behind the audience at a resolution over 80 times that of a high-definition television with approximately 17,500 seats and a scalable capacity up to 20,000 guests. While the facility for viewing these immersive experiences sounds impressive on its own, it leaves one wondering what kind of cameras and equipment are needed to capture the content that gets played there.

The company has said “an innovative new camera system developed internally that sets a new bar for Image fidelity, eclipsing all current cinematic cameras with unparalleled edge-to-edge sharpness” — a very bold claim. While on paper it doesn’t seem much different from any other camera manufactures claims about their next-gen system, spending time with the new system in person and seeing what it is capable of paints an entirely different picture that honestly has to be seen to be believed.

“Sphere Studios is not only creating content, but also technology that is truly transformative,” says David Dibble, Chief Executive Officer of MSG Ventures, a division of Sphere Entertainment focused on developing advanced technologies for live entertainment.

“Sphere in Las Vegas is an experiential medium featuring an LED display, sound system and 4D technologies that require a completely new and innovative approach to filmmaking. We created Big Sky – the most advanced camera system in the world – not only because we could, but out of innovative necessity. This was the only way we could bring to life the vision of our filmmakers, artists, and collaborators for Sphere.”

According to the company, the new Big Sky camera system “is a groundbreaking ultra-high-resolution camera system and custom content creation tool that was developed in-house at Sphere Studios to capture stunning video for the world’s highest resolution screen at Sphere. Every aspect of Big Sky represents a significant advancement on current state-of-the-art cinema camera systems, including the largest single sensor in commercial use capable of capturing incredibly detailed, large-format images.”

The Big Sky features an “18K by 18K” (or 18K Square Format) custom image sensor which absolutely dwarfs current full frame and large format systems. When paired with the Big Sky’s single-lens system –which the company boasts is the world’s sharpest cinematic lens — it can achieve the extreme optical requirements necessary to match Sphere’s 16K by 16K immersive display plane from edge to edge.

Currently the camera has two primary lens designs: a 150-degree field of view which is true to the view of the sphere where the content will be projected, and a 165-degree field of view which is designed for “overshoot and stabilization” particularly useful in filming situations where the camera is in rapid motion or on an aircraft with a lot of vibrations (ie a helicopter).

The Big Sky features a single 316-megapixel, 3-inch by 3-inch HDR image sensor that the company says is a 40x resolution increase over existing 4K cameras and 160x over HD cameras. In addition to its massive sensor size, the camera is capable of capturing 10-bit footage at 120 frames per second (FPS) in the 18K square format as well as 60 FPS at 12-bit.

“With underwater and other lenses currently in development, as well as the ability to use existing medium format lenses, Sphere Studios is giving immersive content creators all the tools necessary to create extraordinary content for Sphere,” the company says.

Since the media captured by the Big Sky camera is massive, it requires some substantial processing power as well as some objectively obscene amounts of storage solutions. As such, just like the lenses, housings (including underwater and aerial gimbals), and camera, the entire media recorder infrastructure was designed and built entirely in-house to precisely meet the company’s needs.

According to the engineering team at Sphere, “the Big Sky camera creates a 500 gigabit per second pipe off the camera with 400 gigabit of fiber between the camera head and the media recorder. The media recorder itself is currently capable of recording 30 gigabytes of data per second (sustained) with each media magazine containing 32 terabytes and holds approximately 17 minutes of footage.”
The company says the media recorder is capable of handling 600 gigabits per second of network connectivity, as well as built-in media duplication, to accelerate and simplify on-set and post-production workflows. This allows their creative team to swap out drives and continue shooting for as long as they need.

Basically, as long as they have power and extra media magazines, they can run the camera pretty much all day without any issues. I did ask the team about overheating and heat dissipation of the massive system, and they went into great detail about how the entire system has been designed with a sort of internal “chimney” that maintained airflow through the camera ensuring it would not overheat and can keep running even in some of the craziest weather scenarios ranging from being completely underwater to surrounded by dust storms without incident.

What’s even more impressive is the camera can run completely separate from this recording technology as long as it is connected through its cable system, this includes distances of up to a reported mile away.

Since the entire system was built in-house, the team at Sphere Studios had to build their own image processing software specifically for Big Sky that utilizes GPU-accelerated RAW processing to make the workflows of capturing and delivering the content to the Sphere screen practical and efficient. Through the use of proxy editing, a standard laptop can be used, connected to the custom media decks to view and edit the footage with practically zero lag.

Why Is This A Big Deal?
While the specs on paper are unarguably mind-boggling, it’s practically impossible to express just how impressive the footage and experience is to see it captured and presented on the sphere screens it was meant for.

The good news is that PetaPixel was invited to the Los Angeles division for a private tour and demonstration of the groundbreaking technology so we could see it all firsthand and not just go off of the press release. I wasn’t able to take photos or video myself — the images and video in this write-up were provided by the Sphere Studios team — but I can confirm that this technology is wildly impressive and will definitely change the filmmaking industry in the coming years.

When showing me the initial concepts and design mock-ups, the team didn’t think of the content they deliver as simply footage, but rather “experiential storytelling” and after having experienced it for myself, I wholeheartedly agree.

During my tour of the facility, I got to see the camera first hand, look at live footage and rendering in real-time, as well as see some test images and video footage, including some scenes that may make it into “Postcard from Earth” which is the first experience being revealed at the Sphere in Las Vegas this fall that has footage captured from all over the planet that should give viewers a truly unique perspective of what the planet and this new camera system has to offer.

On top of the absolutely massive camera, the system they have developed to “experience” the footage includes haptic seating, true personal-headphone level sound without the headphones from any seat, as well as a revolutionary “environmental” system that can help viewers truly feel the environment they are watching with changing temperatures, familiar scents, and even a cool breeze.
“Sphere Studios is not only creating content, but also technology that is truly transformative,” says Dibble.

“Sphere in Las Vegas is an experiential medium featuring an LED display, sound system and 4D technologies that require a completely new and innovative approach to filmmaking. We created Big Sky – the most advanced camera system in the world – not only because we could, but out of innovative necessity. This was the only way we could bring to life the vision of our filmmakers, artists, and collaborators for Sphere.”

Something worth noting is all of this came to life effectively in just a few short years. The camera started out as an “array” of existing 8K cameras mounted in a massive custom housing. This created an entirely new series of challenges when processing and rendering the massive visuals, which lead to the development of the Big Sky single-lens camera itself, which is currently in its version 2.5 stage of development.

Each generation has made the system more compact and efficient also. The original system was over 100 pounds with the current (v2) weighing a little over 60 pounds, with the next generation lens being developed bringing the system under 30 pounds.

Equally impressive was the amount of noise the camera made, which is to say it was practically silent in operation. Even with the cooling system running it was as quiet or even quieter than most existing 8K systems in the cinematic world — comparing it to an IMAX wouldn’t even be fair… to the IMAX.

The Big Sky cameras are not up for sale (yet) but they are meeting with film companies and filmmakers to find ways to bring the technology to the home-entertainment world. A discussion we had on-site revolved around gimbals mounted on helicopters, airplanes, and automobiles and how those systems, even “the best” still experience some jitter/vibration which is often stabilized which causes the footage to be cropped in.

The technology built for Big Sky helps eliminate a massive percentage of this vibration, and even without it, the sheer amount of resolution the camera offers can provide a ton of space for post-production stabilization. This alone could be a game changer for Hollywood when capturing aerial and “chase scene” footage from vehicles allowing for even more detail than ever before.

Big Sky’s premiere experience at Sphere in Las Vegas is set to open on September 29 with the first of 25 concerts by U2, as well as many other film and live event projects that will be announced soon.

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The International Image Sensor Workshop 2023 offered an excellent overview of sensors past, present and future

John-Scott Thomas PhD, TechInsights (Image Sensor Subject Matter Expert)

After a long hiatus courtesy of COVID, the International Image Sensor Workshop (IISW) 2023 was held in-person at the charming Crieff Hydro Hotel in the highlands of Scotland from May 21-25. With over two hundred attendees by my count, the workshop presented a lively and informative forum for image sensor devices past, present and future. TechInsights was honored to open the meeting with a presentation on the state-of-the-art in small pixel (mobile) devices. With fifteen minutes available only the briefest overview was possible, and we focused on the technologies that enable the transition to the 0.56 micron pixel pitch (Samsung and OmniVision) and 0.70 micron (Sony) pixel pitch. You can read the TechInsights paper here.

Sony (presented by Masatak Sugimoto) then described the structure of a two-layer image sensor where the photodiode and transfer gate of the pixel is placed on one semiconductor layer and the reset, source-follower, and select transistors are placed on a lower layer. This structure allows optimization of the two layers with different processes for each and pushes the current limits of hybrid bonding. This was all the more interesting as TechInsights located a Sony sensor using 2-layer transistor pixels (in the Xperia 1V smartphone) as the workshop began. We’ll have plenty more analysis in our channels for this world-first device. Samsung (Sungsoo Choi) and OmniVision (Chung Yung Ai) then presented further technical details of the 0.56 micron pixels the two companies are producing. The first session was rounded out with another Samsung (Minho Kwon) presentation on a switchable resolution sensor and an onsemi (Vladi Korobov) surveillance sensor optimized for low light and Near Infra-red (NIR).
Following sessions discussed noise and pixel design. The Automotive session focused on High Dynamic Range, and a presentation by Manual Innocent (onsemi) shared an impressive video clip showing an automotive camera emerging from a dark tunnel to bright sunlight with excellent image quality using  a 150 dB sensor. Automotive cameras will be a high growth segment and are particularly suited to sensing outside the visible spectrum. More exotic applications included X-ray sensors, Ultraviolet and Short Wavelength Infrared sensors, discussed later in the conference. The final two sessions covered Time of Flight and SPAD sensors; already used in mobile applications, these are promising technologies in surveillance and automotive devices.

Of particular note were the discussions about digital image processing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. There was general agreement that future devices will have much more digital processing included in the stacked Image Signal Processor, although many attendees felt most of the image processing should be performed on the applications processor when possible since this device uses a more advanced process node. The younger attendees showed a significant interest in digital image processing through their presentations, posters, and questions; a sign of things to come no doubt. This was highlighted by the two invited speakers. Charles Bouman (Purdue University) provided an overview of the abilities of computational imaging and emphasized the need for more dialogue between the image sensing community and the digital processing community. Jerome Chossat (STMicroelectronics) presented trends analysis clearly showing there will be plenty of computational power available in future stacked image sensors.

A banquet concluded the workshop – complete with a starlit (electric, of course) hall, bagpipes and kilts. Neil Dutton (STMicroelectronics) opened the evening and in general provided excellent management of the sessions. Boyd Fowler (OmniVision) presented awards to the best papers and posters, and finally three awards to seasoned veterans of the image sensor world. John Tower was recognized for his contributions to Image Sensor publications, Takeharu Goji Etoh for his sustained contributions to High Speed Cameras and Edoardo Charbon for imaging using SPAD arrays. Edoardo showcased an amazing video clip of a light pulse travelling through air and bouncing from mirrors. If you haven’t seen this before, you really should check it out.

Much of the value at a workshop happens with the conversations that take place out of session and at the many social events happening beyond formalities. This event reminded me of the importance of in-person meetings. TechInsights will continue to participate and watch this exciting field for further innovation. The International Image Sensor Society intends to provide all of the workshop papers on their website in the next few weeks.

You can also read the TechInsights paper here.

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Optics.org news article https://optics.org/news/14/5/9 about recently published work from U. Edinburgh. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.28.5.057001

University of Edinburgh improves diffuse imaging of blood flow

10 May 2023
New data processing approach could relieve bottleneck for speckle techniques in clinics.

Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) can assess blood flow non-invasively, by analyzing diffused light returning from illuminated areas of tissue and detecting the speckled spectral signals of blood cells in motion.

The potential impact of DCS was recognized in a 2022 SPIE report, which concluded that "an exciting era of technology transfer is emerging as research groups have spun-out well-established, early-stage startup ventures intending to commercialize DCS for clinical use."

The SPIE report identified the increasing availability of advanced single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detectors as a key factor in the current rise of DCS techniques. However, those same detectors have introduced a potential new hurdle, caused by the increased data handling requirements of diffuse spectroscopic methods.

The extremely high data rates of modern SPAD cameras can exceed the maximum data transfer rates of commonly used communication protocols, a bottleneck that has limited the scalability of SPAD cameras to higher pixel resolutions and hindered the development of better multispeckle DCS techniques.

A project based at the University of Edinburgh and funded by Meta Platforms has now demonstrated a new data compression scheme that could improve the sensitivity and usability of multispeckle DCS instruments.

The study, published in Journal of Biomedical Optics, describes a novel data compression scheme in which most calculations involving SPAD data are performed directly on a commercial programmable circuit called a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This alleviates the previous need for high computational power and extremely fast data transfer rates between the DSC system and the host system upon which the data is visualized, according to the project.

Clearer views of the brain
If the key part of the computational analysis, a per-pixel calculation termed the autocorrelation function, takes place locally on the FPGA, then a higher imaging frame rate can be maintained than is possible with existing hardware autocorrelators.

To test this approach, the Edinburgh project constructed a large array SPAD camera in which 128 linear autocorrelators were embedded in an FPGA integrated circuit. Packaged into a camera module christened Quanticam, this was able to calculate 12,288 channels of data and compute the ensemble autocorrelation function from 192 x 64 pixels of DCS data in real time.

"Our proposed system achieved a significant gain in the signal-to-noise ratio, which is 110 times higher than that possible on a single-speckle DSC implementation and 3 times higher than other state-of-the-art multispeckle DSC systems," commented Robert Henderson from the University of Edinburgh.

If FPGA-based designs can help researchers adopt SPAD arrays with high pixel resolution but without the data processing load currently involved, then SPAD cameras could become more widely adopted in the biomedical research community. This would expand the horizons of multispeckle DCS to more areas of biomedical research, including the imaging of cerebral blood dynamics.

"Intense research effort in SPAD camera development is currently ongoing to improve camera capabilities toward even larger pixel count, shorter exposure time and higher detection probability," said the project in its paper. "Soon we should expect high-performance SPAD cameras with FPGA-embedded or even on-chip computing that could surpass the multispeckle DCS requirements for noninvasive detection of local brain activation."

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The Barcelona Techno Weeks are a series of events that focus on a specific technological topic of interest for both academia and industry. These events include keynote presentations by world experts, networking activities, and a comprehensive course on solid state radiation detection. CERN and ICCUB organized three editions of the Techno Week in the past, which focused on semiconductor radiation detectors in 2016, 2018, and 2021.

Detailed schedule is available here: https://indico.icc.ub.edu/event/176/timetable/#all.detailed

Course on semiconductor detectors
The core of the 7th Techno Week is a comprehensive in-person course on solid state radiation detection, which covers topics such as the physics of interaction of radiation with matter, signal formation in detectors, different solid state radiation and photon detection technologies, detector analog and digital pulse processing readout circuits, detector packaging and advanced interconnect technologies and the use of radiation and photon detectors in scientific and industrial applications. The event also includes a participant poster session, presentations from industry professionals and a series of laboratories and social events.
 
The next edition will take place from the 3rd to the 7th July 2023 and it will be in-person. The course is divided into four sections: Sensors and Interconnects, Microelectronics, Detector Technologies, and Applications.

Objectives

•  Explain fundamentals of interaction of radiation with matter and signal formation.
•  Understand different solid state radiation and photon detection technologies (including monolithic sensors, CMOS imagers, SPAD sensors, etc).
•  Review detector analog and digital pulse processing readout circuits (with emphasis in microelectronics and ASIC design).
•  Provide an insight of packaging and advanced interconnect technologies (hybrid sensors, 3D integration, etc).
•  Survey the use of radiation and photon detectors in industrial applications.
•  Present new trends in radiation and photon detection.

In addition to the lectures from experts, the event includes a participant poster session and presentations from industry professionals combined with a series of laboratories and social events.
 
Who it is aimed at
The event is aimed at researchers, postdocs, PhD students, and industry professionals working in fields such as particle detectors, astronomy, space, medical imaging, scientific instrumentation, material analysis, neutron imaging, process monitoring and control. It offers a good opportunity for young researchers to meet with senior experts from academia and industry.

Lecturers
Rafael Ballabriga (CERN)
Massimo Caccia (U. Degli Studi Dell'Insubria)
Michael Campbell (CERN)
Ricardo Carmona Galán (IMSE-CNM/CSIC-US)
Edoardo Charbon (EPFL)
Perceval Coudrain (CEA)
David Gascón (ICCUB)
Alberto Gola (FBK)
Daniel Hynds (U. Oxford)
Frank Koppens (ICFO)
Angelo Rivetti (INFN)
Ángel Rodríguez Vázquez (US)
Antonio Rubio (UPC)
Dennis Schaart (TU Delft)
Francesc Serra-Graells (IMB-CNM/CSIC)
Renato Turchetta (IMASENIC)
 
Organization Team
Joan Mauricio (ICCUB)
Sergio Gómez (Serra Hunter - UPC)
Eduardo Picatoste (ICCUB)
Andreu Sanuy (ICCUB)
Rafael Ballabriga (CERN)
David Gascón (ICCUB)
Daniel Guberman (ICCUB)
Esther Pallarés (ICCUB)
Anna Argudo (ICCUB)

Some interesting talks on the schedule:

Contribution: Introduction to Semiconductors detectors
Time and Place: (Jul 3, 2023 - Jul 3, 2023)
Presenter: : Daniel Hynds

Contribution: Introduction to Semiconductors detectors
Time and Place: (Jul 3, 2023 - Jul 3, 2023)
Presenter: : Daniel Hynds

Contribution: Introduction to CMOS
Time and Place: (Jul 3, 2023 - Jul 3, 2023)
Presenter: : Francesc Serra-Graells

Contribution: Hybrid pixels and FE electronics
Time and Place: (Jul 4, 2023 - Jul 4, 2023)
Presenter: : Rafael Ballabriga

Contribution: Signal conditioning, digitization and Time pick-off
Time and Place: (Jul 4, 2023 - Jul 4, 2023)
Presenter: : Angelo Rivetti

Contribution: Sensor integration and packaging
Time and Place: (Jul 4, 2023 - Jul 4, 2023)
Presenter: : Perceval Coudrain

Contribution: Monolithic pixel detector + CMOS
Time and Place: (Jul 5, 2023 - Jul 5, 2023)
Presenter: : Renato Turchetta

Contribution: SPAD + Cryogenic
Time and Place: (Jul 5, 2023 - Jul 5, 2023)
Presenter: : Edoardo Charbon

Contribution: Embedded in-sensor intelligence for analog-to-information
Time and Place: (Jul 5, 2023 - Jul 5, 2023)
Presenters: : Ricardo Carmona Galán; Ángel Rodríguez-Vázquez

Contribution: SiPMs
Time and Place: (Jul 6, 2023 - Jul 6, 2023)
Presenter: : Alberto Gola

Contribution: Electronics for Fast Detectors
Time and Place: (Jul 6, 2023 - Jul 6, 2023)
Presenter: : David Gascon Fora

Contribution: Introduction to fast timing applications in medical physics
Time and Place: (Jul 7, 2023 - Jul 7, 2023)
Presenter: : Dennis R. Schaart

Contribution: Quantum applications of detectors
Time and Place: (Jul 7, 2023 - Jul 7, 2023)
Presenter: : Massimo Caccia

Contribution: Graphene
Time and Place: (Jul 7, 2023 - Jul 7, 2023)
Presenter: : Frank Koppens

Contribution: Electronics beyond CMOS (such as Carbon Nanotubes)
Time and Place: (Jul 7, 2023 - Jul 7, 2023)
Presenter: : Antonio Rubio

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Press release:
https://voxelsensors.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/VoxelSensors_Announces_Seed_Round_Closing_May-17-2023-_-RC_FINAL.pdf

Brussels (Belgium), May 17, 2023
- VoxelSensors today announces an investment of €5M led by Belgian venture capital firms Capricorn Partners and Qbic, with participation from the investment firm finance&invest.brussels, existing investors and the team. VoxelSensors’ Switching Pixels® Active Event Sensor (SPAES) is a novel category of ultra-low power and ultra-low latency 3D perception sensors for Extended Reality (XR)1 to blend the physical and digital worlds. The funding will be used to further develop VoxelSensors’ roadmap, hire key employees, and strengthen business engagements with customers in the U.S. and Asia. Furthermore, VoxelSensors remains committed to raising funds in order to back its ambitious growth plans.

Extended Reality device manufacturers require low power consumption and low latency 3D
perception technology to seamlessly blend the physical and digital worlds and unlock the true
potential of immersive experiences. VoxelSensors’ patented Switching Pixels® Active Event Sensor technology has uniquely resolved these significant 3D perception challenges and is the world’s first solution reaching less than 10 milliwatts power consumption combined with less than 5 milliseconds latency while being resistant to outdoor lighting at distances over 5 meters and being immune to crosstalk interferences.

The founders of VoxelSensors boast a combined experience of more than 50 years in the development of cutting-edge 3D sensor technologies, systems and software. Their track record of success includes co-inventing an efficient 3D Time of Flight sensor and camera technology, which was acquired by a leading tech company.

“Our goal at VoxelSensors is to seamlessly integrate the physical and digital worlds to a point level where they become indistinguishable,” said Johannes Peeters, co-founder and CEO of VoxelSensors. "Extended Reality has rapidly gained traction in recent years, with diverse applications across sectors such as gaming, entertainment, education, healthcare, manufacturing, and more. With our Switching Pixels® Active Event Sensor technology we are poised to deliver unparalleled opportunities for groundbreaking user experiences. We are excited by the opportunity to contribute to the growth of our growing industry and honored by the trust of these investors to help us expand the company and accelerate market penetration.”

“We are excited to invest with the Capricorn Digital Growth Fund in VoxelSensors. We appreciate the broad experience in the team, the flexibility of the 3D perception solution towards different applications and the solid intellectual property base, essential for the success of a deep tech start-up. The team has a proven track record to build a scalable business model within a Europe-based semiconductor value chain. We also highly value the support of the Brussels region via Innoviris,” explained Marc Lambrechts, Investment Director at Capricorn Partners.

“As an inter-university fund, Qbic is delighted to support VoxelSensors in this phase of its journey. It’s a pleasure to see the team that led one of Vrije Universiteit Brussels’ (VUB) most prominent spinoffs to successful exit, start another initiative in this space. They will leverage again the expertise VUB has in this domain, through an extensive research collaboration,” said Steven Leuridan, Partner at Qbic III Fund. “We truly believe VoxelSensors is a shining example of a European fabless semiconductor company that holds potential to lead its market.”

Marc Lambrechts from Capricorn Partners and Steven Leuridan from Qbic are appointed to VoxelSensors’ Board of Directors, effective immediately.

“With Switching Pixels® Active Event Sensing (SPAES) we challenge the status quo in 3D perception,” concludes VoxelSensors’ co-founder and CTO of VoxelSensors, PhD Ward van der
Tempel. “This groundbreaking technology unlocks new possibilities in Extended Reality by addressing
previously unmet needs such as precise segmentation, spatial mapping, anchoring and natural interaction. Moreover, this breakthrough innovation extends beyond Extended Reality, and has exciting potential in various industries, including robotics, automotive, drones, and medical applications.”

VoxelSensors will showcase their breakthrough technology at the Augmented World Expo (AWE) USA 2023 from May 31 to June 2, 2023, in Santa Clara (California, USA). Evaluation Kits of the SPAES technology are available for purchase through sales@voxelsensors.com

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CNES, ESA, LABEX FOCUS, ONERA, CEA-LETI, AIRBUS DEFENCE & SPACE, THALES ALENIA SPACE are pleased to invite you to the “Infrared detection for space application” workshop to be held in TOULOUSE from June 7th to 9th, 2023
 
Registration deadline is June 1st, 2023.
 
Workshop registration link : https://site.evenium.net/2yp0cj0h

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News from: https://ala.associates/funding/lynred-breaks-ground-on-new-e85m-industrial-site-for-infrared-technologies/

Also from Yole: https://www.yolegroup.com/industry-news/lynred-breaks-ground-on-new-e85m-industrial-site-for-infrared-technologies/

Lynred breaks ground on new €85M industrial site for infrared technologies

 Named Campus, Lynred’s new state-of-the-art industrial facility will meet growing market demand for advanced infrared technologies, notably for automotive sector, whilst bolstering French industrial sovereignty in field
 
Company’s production capacity set to undergo 50% increase by 2025; 100% by 2030
 
Grenoble, France, May 10, 2023 – Lynred, a leading global provider of high-quality infrared detectors for the aerospace, defense and commercial markets, today announces breaking ground on its new €85 million ($93.7M) industrial site to produce state-of-the-art infrared technologies. This is the biggest construction investment that the company has undertaken since it began manufacturing in 1986.
 
The project is financed by loans from the CIC bank and Bpifrance.
 
Lynred will double its current cleanroom footprint, totaling 8,200 m2 (88,264 ft2), primarily to meet two strategic objectives:
 Obtain an optimal cleanroom cleanliness classification for its new high-performance products (hybrid detectors)
 Increase the production capacity for its more compact industrial products (bolometers) used in multiple fields, including the automotive industry
This substantial investment will consolidate Lynred’s positioning as European market leader in infrared detection. It enables the company to play a key role within the European defense industrial and technological base, innately woven into strengthening French and European forces, for whom infrared detection is hugely important. With this, Lynred takes a step up in responding to the French government’s call to reorient European industry towards a ‘rearmament economy’ (FR).
 
To mark the ground breaking on May 10, Jean-François Delepau, chairman of Lynred, planted a holm oak tree.
 
“I am delighted to see our state-of-the-art industrial site come to life, consolidating our position as the second largest infrared detector manufacturer in the world. This will enable us to respond to growing market demand for next-generation infrared technologies, including in the automotive sector. It will allow us to contribute to bolstering France’s industrial sovereignty and, more generally, to improve our overall industrial performance. Above all, I wish to thank the Lynred teams involved in this major undertaking, as well as all our partners who have supported us, in particular our shareholders, Thales and Safran. Lynred is embarking on a new strategic pathway, both in terms of technology and dynamic growth,” said Mr Delepau.
 
The buildings are due for completion in the first trimester of 2025 and the site will be fully operational by the following October. This state-of-the-art industrial facility will comprise 8,200 m2 (88,264 ft2) of interconnected cleanrooms (twice the current surface area), 3,400 m2 (36,600ft2) of laboratories, a 2,300 m2 (24,756 ft2) logistics area, and a tertiary and technical area measuring 10,800 m2 (11,625 ft2).
 
Lynred is looking to increase its production capacity by 50% by 2025, in particular for its bolometer products, with a view to doubling capacity by 2030.
 
With these new cleanrooms the company will house all of its French production lines in a single location. This will enable synergies amongst core competencies and optimize production flows.
 
The new buildings will be located on the current Lynred site in Veurey-Voroize, situated within the Grenoble area. They have been designed to ensure optimized energy management and environmental performance: even with 13,600 m2 (146,400 ft2) under construction, the volume of permeable surface will increase. The company will decrease its carbon footprint by 33% and will install 1,800 m2 (19,375 ft2) of solar panels. Moreover, the site will accommodate an additional 320 trees and more than 100 charging stations for electric vehicles (cars and bicycles) will be put in place, with more cycle parking added.
 
About Lynred
Lynred and its subsidiaries, Lynred USA and Lynred Asia-Pacific, are global leaders in designing and manufacturing high quality infrared technologies for aerospace, defense and commercial markets. It has a vast portfolio of infrared detectors that covers the entire electromagnetic spectrum from near to very far infrared. The Group’s products are at the center of multiple military programs and applications. Its IR detectors are the key component of many top brands in commercial thermal imaging equipment sold across Europe, Asia and North America. Lynred is the leading European manufacturer for IR detectors deployed in space.
www.lynred.com

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The call for poster and demo submissions for the IEEE International Conference on Computational Photography (ICCP 2023) is now open. The call is on the website and is available here.

Whereas ICCP papers must describe original research, the posters, and demos give an opportunity to showcase previously published or yet-to-be-published work to a broader community.

The poster track is non-exclusive, and papers submitted to the paper or abstract tracks of ICCP are welcome to present a poster as well.

ICCP is at the rich intersection of optics, graphics, imaging, vision and design. The posters and demos provide an excellent and exciting opportunity for interaction and cross-talk between research communities.

The deadline for posters/demos is June 15, 2023.

Please submit your posters/demos here: https://forms.gle/VdMMEheX1X3ucQG47.

Please refer to the ICCP 2023 website for more information: https://iccp2023.iccp-conference.org/call-for-posters-demos/

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A review article in Nature Communications by Wang et al. (Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics) discusses techniques for characterizing 2D photodetectors.

Full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37635-1

Abstract: Photodetectors based on two-dimensional (2D) materials have been the focus of intensive research and development over the past decade. However, a gap has long persisted between fundamental research and mature applications. One of the main reasons behind this gap has been the lack of a practical and unified approach for the characterization of their figures of merit, which should be compatible with the traditional performance evaluation system of photodetectors. This is essential to determine the degree of compatibility of laboratory prototypes with industrial technologies. Here we propose general guidelines for the characterization of the figures of merit of 2D photodetectors and analyze common situations when the specific detectivity, responsivity, dark current, and speed can be misestimated. Our guidelines should help improve the standardization and industrial compatibility of 2D photodetectors. 

a Photoconductive photodetector. b Planar junction photodetector. c, d Vertical junction photodetectors with zero and reverse bias, respectively. e Focal plane photodetector. The dashed blue lines in a–e are suggested accurate effective areas. The dashed orange lines in b, d, and e are potential inaccurate effective areas for respective types. f Field intensity of the Gaussian beam with the beam waist w0 = 2.66 μm, here BP represents black phosphorus. g Wave optics simulation result of the electric field distribution at the upper surface of the device with plane wave injected. h Calculated absorption with the Gaussian beam with the beam waist w0 = 2.66 μm multiplying the wave optics simulation profile shown in (g).

Responsivity

a Monochromatic laser source measurement system, where the laser spot intensity follows the Gaussian distribution. b Relative intensity of the edge of the spot under the researcher’s estimation. The inset shows three spots with the same beam waist and color limit, the only difference of which is the beam intensity. with different intensities and the same beam waist. The estimated radius of spot size shows vast differences. c Laser spot size and power calibration measurement system. d Photon composition of blackbody radiation source, and the radiation distribution in accordance with Planck’s law. e Typical response spectrum of photon detector and thermal detector. The inset shows a diagram of the blackbody measurement system. f Schematic diagram of FTIR measurement system.

Dark current

Other noise sources

a Noise and responsivity characteristics for photodetectors with different response bandwidths for single detection (the blue line represents the typical responsivity curve of photodetectors of high response bandwidth, the green line represents the typical responsivity curve of photodetectors of low response bandwidth, and the red line represents the typical noise characteristics. The vertical dashed lines represent the −3 dB bandwidth for photodetectors with high and low response bandwidth). b Overestimation of specific detectivity based on noise characteristics for single detection. The solid and dashed lines present the calculated specific detectivity with D∗=RAdΔfin from the measured noise and estimated noise of thermal noise and shot noise (ignoring the 1/f noise and g-r noise). c Noise and responsivity characteristics for photodetectors of imaging detection. d Overestimation of specific detectivity based on noise characteristics for imaging detection. The solid and dashed lines present the calculated specific detectivity with D∗=RAdfB∫0fBindf from the measured noise and estimated noise of thermal noise and shot noise (ignoring the 1/f noise and g-r noise).

Time parameters

a Calculated fall time does not reach a stable value which is inaccurate, where τf′ is inaccurate calculated fall time, τf is accurate calculated fall time. (The bule line represents the square signal curve, the yellow line represents the typical response curve of 2D photodetectors.) b Response time measurement of photodetector may not reach a stable value under pulse signal, which will lead to an inaccurate result. The inset shows pulse signal. The τr is inaccurate calculated rise time. c Variation of photocurrent and responsivity of photoconductive photodetectors with the incident optical power density14. d Rise and fall response time of photodetector should be calculated from a complete periodic signal. e Typical −3 dB bandwidth response curve of photodetector, where R0 represents stable responsivity value, fc represents the −3 dB cutoff frequency. f Gain-bandwidth product of various photodetectors, where photo-FET is photo-field-effect transistor, PVFET is photovoltage field-effect transistor14.

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CMOS Image Sensor Layers at a Glance

The onsemi CMOS Image Sensor Wafer consists of the following layers:
• Microlens Array—Small lenses that collect and focus light onto light-sensitive areas of the sensor.
• Color Filter Array (CFA)—Mosaic of tiny color filters placed over the pixel sensors of an image sensor to capture color information.
• Photodiode—Semiconductor that converts light into an electrical current.
• Pixel Transistors—Transistors provide gain or bugger [sic, typo "buffer"?] of electrical charge from the photodiode.
• Bond Layer—Connects the Active Pixel Array to the ASIC layer
• ASIC—Logic layer for features such as error correction, memory for multi-exposures, cores for cybersecurity, hardware blocks for functional safety, and high-speed I/O.

tinyML Summit 2023: Deploying Visual AI Solutions in the Retail Industry

Mark HANSON , VP of Technology and Business Innovation, Sony Semiconductor Solutions of America
An image sensor with AI-processing capability is a novel architecture that is pushing vision AI closer to the edge to enable applications at scale. Today many AI applications stall in the PoC stage and never reach commercial deployment to solve real-world problems because existing systems lack simplicity, flexibility, affordability, and commercial-grade reliability. We’ll investigate why the retail industry struggles to keep track of stock on its retail shelves while relying on retail employees to manually monitor stock and how our (AITRIOS) vision AI application for on-shelf-availability can eliminate complexity and inefficiency at scale.

Melexis: Automotive in-cabin face recognition and anti-spoofing AI using 3D time-of-flight camera

In this demo, we demonstrate in-cabin face recognition and anti-spoofing AI using a 3D time-of-flight camera. Please contact us for more information.

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Miyazawa et al. from Shizuoka University in Japan recently published an article titled "A Time-of-Flight Image Sensor Using 8-Tap P-N Junction Demodulator Pixels" in the MDPI Sensors journal.

[Open access: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/8/3987]

Abstract:
This paper presents a time-of-flight image sensor based on 8-Tap P-N junction demodulator (PND) pixels, which is designed for hybrid-type short-pulse (SP)-based ToF measurements under strong ambient light. The 8-tap demodulator implemented with multiple p-n junctions used for modulating the electric potential to transfer photoelectrons to eight charge-sensing nodes and charge drains has an advantage of high-speed demodulation in large photosensitive areas. The ToF image sensor implemented using 0.11 µm CIS technology, consisting of an 120 (H) × 60 (V) image array of the 8-tap PND pixels, successfully works with eight consecutive time-gating windows with the gating width of 10 ns and demonstrates for the first time that long-range (>10 m) ToF measurements under high ambient light are realized using single-frame signals only, which is essential for motion-artifact-free ToF measurements. This paper also presents an improved depth-adaptive time-gating-number assignment (DATA) technique for extending the depth range while having ambient-light canceling capability and a nonlinearity error correction technique. By applying these techniques to the implemented image sensor chip, hybrid-type single-frame ToF measurements with depth precision of maximally 16.4 cm (1.4% of the maximum range) and the maximum non-linearity error of 0.6% for the full-scale depth range of 1.0–11.5 m and operations under direct-sunlight-level ambient light (80 klux) have been realized. The depth linearity achieved in this work is 2.5 times better than that of the state-of-the-art 4-tap hybrid-type ToF image sensor.

Figure 1. Structure and principle of the two-tap p-n junction demodulator (PND): (a) Top view; (b) Cross-sectional view (X1–X1’); (c) Cross-sectional view (X2–X2’); (d) Potential diagram at the channel (X1–X1’); (e) Potential diagram at Si surface (X2–X2’).

Figure 2. 8-tap demodulation pixel and the operations: (a) Top view of the 8-tap PND; (b) equivalent pixel readout circuits.

Figure 3. 3D device simulation results of the 8-tap PND: (a) X-Y 2D potential plot and carrier traces to transfer to G6; (b) X-Y 2D potential plot and carrier traces to transfer to GD; (c) demodulator top view; (d) 1D potential plot (A–A’) for carrier transfer to floating diffusions, FD6 and FD2; (e) 1D potential plot (B–B’) for carrier transferring to a drain through GD only (red line) and that for carrier transferring to a drain through GD and GDO (black line).

Figure 4. Gate timing and its correspondence to the depth range to be measured: (a) Gate timing when all the gates are activated in every cycle and its correspondence to the distance profile of the back-reflected light intensity; (b) Gate timing when G4–G8 are activated for signal light sampling and G1–G3 are activated for ambient light sampling.

Figure 5. Example of the modified DATA timing diagram for cancelling ambient light.

Figure 6. Chip micrograph.

Figure 7. Response of the 8-tap outputs to the light pulse delay. (a) Response to Short Pulse (940 nm, T0 = 10 ns). (b) Response to Short Pulse (T0 = 10 ns, Normalized). (c) Response to Very Short Pulse (FWHM = 69 ps, 851 nm, Normalized). (d) Time Derivative of (c) by The Delay Time (Normalized). (e) FWHM of The Pixel Response to Very Short Pulse (FWHM = 69 ps) Measured with (d).

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Miyazawa et al. from Shizuoka University in Japan recently published an article titled "A Time-of-Flight Image Sensor Using 8-Tap P-N Junction Demodulator Pixels" in the MDPI Sensors journal.

[Open access: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/8/3987]

Abstract:
This paper presents a time-of-flight image sensor based on 8-Tap P-N junction demodulator (PND) pixels, which is designed for hybrid-type short-pulse (SP)-based ToF measurements under strong ambient light. The 8-tap demodulator implemented with multiple p-n junctions used for modulating the electric potential to transfer photoelectrons to eight charge-sensing nodes and charge drains has an advantage of high-speed demodulation in large photosensitive areas. The ToF image sensor implemented using 0.11 µm CIS technology, consisting of an 120 (H) × 60 (V) image array of the 8-tap PND pixels, successfully works with eight consecutive time-gating windows with the gating width of 10 ns and demonstrates for the first time that long-range (>10 m) ToF measurements under high ambient light are realized using single-frame signals only, which is essential for motion-artifact-free ToF measurements. This paper also presents an improved depth-adaptive time-gating-number assignment (DATA) technique for extending the depth range while having ambient-light canceling capability and a nonlinearity error correction technique. By applying these techniques to the implemented image sensor chip, hybrid-type single-frame ToF measurements with depth precision of maximally 16.4 cm (1.4% of the maximum range) and the maximum non-linearity error of 0.6% for the full-scale depth range of 1.0–11.5 m and operations under direct-sunlight-level ambient light (80 klux) have been realized. The depth linearity achieved in this work is 2.5 times better than that of the state-of-the-art 4-tap hybrid-type ToF image sensor.

Figure 1. Structure and principle of the two-tap p-n junction demodulator (PND): (a) Top view; (b) Cross-sectional view (X1–X1’); (c) Cross-sectional view (X2–X2’); (d) Potential diagram at the channel (X1–X1’); (e) Potential diagram at Si surface (X2–X2’).

Figure 2. 8-tap demodulation pixel and the operations: (a) Top view of the 8-tap PND; (b) equivalent pixel readout circuits.

Figure 3. 3D device simulation results of the 8-tap PND: (a) X-Y 2D potential plot and carrier traces to transfer to G6; (b) X-Y 2D potential plot and carrier traces to transfer to GD; (c) demodulator top view; (d) 1D potential plot (A–A’) for carrier transfer to floating diffusions, FD6 and FD2; (e) 1D potential plot (B–B’) for carrier transferring to a drain through GD only (red line) and that for carrier transferring to a drain through GD and GDO (black line).

Figure 4. Gate timing and its correspondence to the depth range to be measured: (a) Gate timing when all the gates are activated in every cycle and its correspondence to the distance profile of the back-reflected light intensity; (b) Gate timing when G4–G8 are activated for signal light sampling and G1–G3 are activated for ambient light sampling.

Figure 5. Example of the modified DATA timing diagram for cancelling ambient light.

Figure 6. Chip micrograph.

Figure 7. Response of the 8-tap outputs to the light pulse delay. (a) Response to Short Pulse (940 nm, T0 = 10 ns). (b) Response to Short Pulse (T0 = 10 ns, Normalized). (c) Response to Very Short Pulse (FWHM = 69 ps, 851 nm, Normalized). (d) Time Derivative of (c) by The Delay Time (Normalized). (e) FWHM of The Pixel Response to Very Short Pulse (FWHM = 69 ps) Measured with (d).

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PetaPixel: https://petapixel.com/2023/04/11/panasonics-decade-old-organic-cmos-sensor-is-still-years-away/

Panasonic’s Decade-Old Organic CMOS Sensor is Still Years Away

As a quick reminder, Panasonic's patented technology relies on an organic thin-film photo-conversion material in lieu of the conventional technique where a silicon photodiode converts light into electrical charge.

Some excerpts from the article are below.

 

... it has been nearly 10 years since the company first announced it was working on this new sensor and in that time, a lot has changed. The previously exciting low light capabilities have since been realized by other sensors...

[In an updated announcement last year Panasonic suggested ...] 8K resolution while retaining those dynamic range promises and would do so at high framerates. More recently, Panasonic explained that the sensor would also feature what is known as “reduced crosstalk,” which basically means that the red, green, and blue pixels of the sensor collect only their intended color and that light, regardless of type and color cast, and won’t spill across each pixel. This results in better color reproduction.

...

Basically, it’s very difficult to get excited about Panasonic’s organic CMOS, and that would be the case even if it was coming to market this year.

...

There are those who have been saying Sigma’s Foveon sensor is stuck in “development hell,” but Panasonic easily has it beat with its organic CMOS. 

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From StatNano: https://statnano.com/news/72257/NEC-Develops-the-World's-First-Highly-Sensitive-Uncooled-Infrared-Image-Sensor-Utilizing-Carbon-Nanotubes

NEC Develops the World's First Highly Sensitive Uncooled Infrared Image Sensor Utilizing Carbon Nanotubes

NEC Corporation has succeeded in developing the world's first high-sensitivity uncooled infrared image sensor that uses high-purity semiconducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the infrared detection area. This was accomplished using NEC’s proprietary extraction technology. NEC will work toward the practical application of this image sensor in 2025.

Infrared image sensors convert infrared rays into electrical signals to acquire necessary information, and can detect infrared rays emitted from people and objects even in the dark. Therefore, infrared image sensors are utilized in various fields to provide a safe and secure social infrastructure, such as night vision to support automobiles driving in the darkness, aircraft navigation support systems and security cameras.

There are two types of infrared image sensors, the "cooled type," which operates at extremely low temperatures, and the "uncooled type," which operates near room temperature. The cooled type is highly sensitive and responsive, but requires a cooler, which is large, expensive, consumes a great deal of electricity, and requires regular maintenance. On the other hand, the uncooled type does not require a cooler, enabling it to be compact, inexpensive, and to consume low power, but it has the issues of inferior sensitivity and resolution compared to the cooled type.

(Left) Electron micrograph and image of single-walled CNTs, (Right) Atomic microscope image of a high-purity semiconducting CNT film.

(Left) Device structure, (Right) Photograph of CNT infrared array device.

In 1991, NEC discovered CNTs for the first time in the world and is now a leader in research and development related to nanotechnology. In 2018, NEC developed a proprietary technology to extract only semiconducting-type CNTs at high purity from single-walled CNTs that have a mixture of metallic and semiconducting types. NEC then discovered that thin films of semiconducting-type CNTs extracted with this technology have a large temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) near room temperature.
The newly developed infrared image sensor is the result of these achievements and know-how. NEC applied semiconductor-type CNTs based on its proprietary technology that features a high TCR, which is an important index for high sensitivity. As a result, the new sensor achieves more than three times higher sensitivity than mainstream uncooled infrared image sensors using vanadium oxide or amorphous silicon.

The new device structure was achieved by combining the thermal separation structure used in uncooled infrared image sensors, the Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) device technology used to realize this structure, and the CNT printing and manufacturing technology cultivated over many years for printed transistors, etc. As a result, NEC has succeeded in operating a high-definition uncooled infrared image sensor of 640 x 480 pixels by arraying the components of the structure.

Part of this work was done in collaboration with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). In addition, a part of this achievement was supported by JPJ004596, a security technology research promotion program conducted by Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA).

Going forward, NEC will continue its research and development to further advance infrared image sensor technologies and to realize products and services that can contribute to various fields and areas of society.

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Link: https://www.aitrios.sony-semicon.com/en/news/aitrios-to-win-tinyml-awards-2023/ 

At the tinyML Summit 2023, held from March 27 to 29, 2023, Sony Semiconductor Solutions' edge AI sensing platform service, AITRIOS™, won the tinyML Awards 2023 "Best Innovative Software Enablement and Tools".

The tinyML Summit is a global conference on tiny machine learning (TinyML), held since 2019, where business leaders, engineers, and researchers gather to share information on the latest TinyML technologies and applications. This year the conference was held in San Francisco, United States. This award is presented to an individual, team, or organization that has created innovative software tools or development support tools related to TinyML and has contributed to the evolution of this technology.

 Deploying Visual AI Solutions in the Retail Industry
Mark HANSON , VP of Technology and Business Innovation, Sony Semiconductor Solutions of America
An image sensor with AI-processing capability is a novel architecture that is pushing vision AI closer to the edge to enable applications at scale. Today many AI applications stall in the PoC stage and never reach commercial deployment to solve real-world problems because existing systems lack simplicity, flexibility, affordability, and commercial-grade reliability. We’ll investigate why the retail industry struggles to keep track of stock on its retail shelves while relying on retail employees to manually monitor stock and how our (AITRIOS) vision AI application for on-shelf-availability can eliminate complexity and inefficiency at scale.

About AITRIOS:

The name “AITRIOS” consists of the platform keyword “AI” and “Trio S,” meaning, “three S’s.” Through AITRIOS, SSS aims to deliver the three S’s of “Solution,” “Social Value,” and “Sustainability” to the world.

Through this platform, SSS seeks to facilitate development of optimal systems, in which the edge and the cloud function in synergy, to support its partners in popularizing and expanding environmentally conscious sensing solutions using edge AI, and to deliver new value and help solve challenges faced by various industries.

AITRIOS integrates an AI model and application development environment, a marketplace, cloud-based services , and other items required for solution development into a powerful and flexible platform.

SSS, a leading company in image sensors, offers sensor configurations optimized for edge AI, enabling partners to build high-performance and reliable solutions.

AITRIOS is a one-stop B2B* (business to business) platform providing tools and environments that facilitate software and application development and system implementation.

*This service is not currently available to individual customers.

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Canon's 3.2 MP SPAD camera has received some press coverage:

PetaPixel: https://petapixel.com/2023/04/03/canons-new-sensor-enables-long-range-night-vision-capabilities/

YMCinema: https://ymcinema.com/2023/04/03/canon-develops-interchangeable-lens-camera-that-sees-in-the-dark/ 

Unfortunately I have not been able to find a spec sheet. The next best thing for now is to see the 2021 IEDM proceedings paper titled "3.2 Megapixel 3D-Stacked Charge Focusing SPAD for Low-Light Imaging and Depth Sensing" (Morimoto et al., Canon Inc., Japan).  Thanks to Prof. Eric Fossum for pointing this out in a comment on an earlier post!

Abstract:
We present a new generation of scalable photon counting image sensors, featuring zero read noise and 100ps temporal resolution. Newly proposed charge focusing single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) is employed to resolve critical trade-offs in conventional SPAD pixels. A prototype 3.2 megapixel 3D-stacked backside-illuminated (BSI) image sensor with 1-inch format demonstrates the best-in-class photon detection efficiency (PDE), dark count rate (DCR) and timing jitter performance with the largest array size ever reported in avalanche photodiode (APD)-based image sensors. The proposed technology paves the way to compact and high-definition photon counting image sensors for low-light imaging and 3D time-of-flight sensing. 

 

 

 

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From Transformative Optics Corporation: https://www.ai-cmos.com/

ai-CMOS sensors solve many of today’s challenges with antiquated CMOS technology, offering unprecedented accuracy, an expanded spectrum, plus 9-channel AI-optimized color. Extending beyond the visible spectrum into near-ultraviolet (NUV) and near-infrared (NIR) greatly expands capabilities for mobile photography, autonomous transport, and machine vision.

With higher sensitivity than Bayer sensors, near-complete color gamut, and expansion beyond visible light to near-infrared and ultraviolet frequencies, ai-CMOS brings a unique multispectral ability to standard cameras.

Mobile Photography.
Close the gap between performance and portability, while unlocking new potential for AI-powered apps.
More Contrast: Improved Black and White Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)
Broader Spectrum: Extension to Near Infrared (NIR) and Near Ultraviolet channel
Near-Complete Color Gamut: Improving color accuracy, automated white balance
Enhanced Sensitivity: Twice the Light. Lower light levels, less motion blur, plus twice the signal levels for a myriad of Integrated Signal Processing functions.

Machine Vision.
ai-CMOS offers AI applications richer and more complete data sets for training, object detection, and object classification.
Richer Data: 3x the information over Bayer
AI Optimizations: increased raw data content for feature vectors and 2x the signal strength for Integrated Signal Processing aiding apps like Super-Resolution
More Contrast: Improved Black and White Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)
Broader Spectrum: Extension to Near Infrared (NIR) and Near Ultraviolet channels

Automotive.
ai-CMOS captures more detailed data in low-light conditions, at night, and in poorer weather conditions, like fog and rain.
Spectral Sensitivity: ai-CMOS captures twice the light of current ADAS CMOS technology on the market.
Object Detection: 25% color gamut increase and 3x Feature Vectors from traditional sensors, greatly enhancing object detection and classification.
Autonomous Driving: Better enable autonomous vehicles to navigate more complex environments, and interact with other vehicles and pedestrians.

Sensor Specs.
Resolution: 3000 x 3864
Pixel Size: 8um
Sensor Format: 35mm (dia. 39.3mm)
Spectral Response: 350nm to 850nm
Quantum Efficiency: >90%
Illumination-type: BSI
Frame Rate: 30fps in HDR
Full Well: >65,000 e-
Gain Mode: HDR and Dual Gain
 

Available in limited quantities in 2023.

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From optics.org news: https://optics.org/news/14/4/15

12 Apr 2023
Yole Intelligence says that the war in Ukraine and tensions over Taiwan will push defense applications beyond prior expectations.

Analysts at France-based Yole Intelligence say the current niche market for short-wave infrared (SWIR) imaging technology will grow rapidly over the next five years, and will be worth $2.9 billion by 2028.

In a new report on the segment, which is currently dominated by applications in defense, research, and industry, Yole’s Alex Clouet suggests that SWIR technology could begin replacing near-infrared (NIR) imagers in high-end smart phones, where the technology is used for secure identification.
Together with higher growth than previously expected in the military arena, plus innovation in key component materials expected to reduce costs, the upshot is expected to be a compound annual growth rate in excess of 40 per cent over the next few years.

Although definitions of SWIR and NIR spectral ranges differ, the term SWIR is often used to refer to wavelengths between 1400 nm and 3000 nm, whereas NIR relates to the 780-1400 nm band.
According to the report, the SWIR imaging market was worth just over $300 million last year, with defense, aerospace, and research applications accounting for more than two-thirds of that total.
“The defense segment will experience higher growth than previously expected, reaching $405 million in 2028 from $228 million in 2022, pulled by geopolitical tensions such as the Ukraine war and tensions around Taiwan and an increasing number of countries becoming interested in SWIR technologies,” Yole says.

The current focus means that defense-oriented players such as Israel’s SCD, Sensors Unlimited, and Teledyne FLIR dominate the scene. But as the technology begins to find use in a larger number of industrial and consumer applications, that is likely to change.

“Many smaller players have significant growth potential, like Sony, or companies making quantum-dot-based cameras, such as SWIR Vision Systems and Emberion, which have a price advantage on high-resolution and extended spectral range products,” Yole stated.

“Newcomers bring new disruptive technologies, like STMicroelectronics, TriEye, or Artilux, to address consumer or automotive markets.”

Emberion, which is a spin-out from Nokia with facilities in Cambridge, UK, uses both colloidal quantum dots and graphene in its devices - claiming improvements in signal-to-noise, breadth of spectral response, and operating temperature.

“Traditional CMOS image sensor suppliers can be game-changers due to their high-volume production capacity and unique design and integration know-how,” observes Yole.
“However, among them, only Sony and STMicroelectronics have already developed SWIR imaging technology - even though others may show signs of interest, such as Samsung and OmniVision.
“The SWIR ecosystem waits for greater interest from these players to accelerate technological and market disruption.”

Material innovation
Nevertheless, the technology is expected to make an impact in consumer goods, with Yole’s figures suggesting the emergence of a significant consumer market over the next five years.
“In 2026, SWIR can start replacing NIR imagers in flagship smart phones for under-display integration of facial recognition modules,” reckons Clouet, adding that the resulting market for complete 3D-sensing modules will just surpass $2 billion by 2028.
Beyond that - and depending on the level of innovation and cost reductions in key components - the technology might end up being integrated into lower-end smart phones and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets to improve the performance of tracking cameras, 3D sensing, and outdoor multispectral imaging.

Clouet also sees applications emerging in the automotive sector, where SWIR could provide enhanced vision in low light and adverse weather conditions, as well as 3D sensing capability - although this market would still be in its infancy by 2028.

Among the technological innovations that may lead to more efficient and lower-cost imaging systems, Yole highlights the potential of quantum dots, organic photodiodes, and the germanium-on-silicon material system as some potentially key developments in sensors.
At the optical component level, polymer and metasurface lenses, diffractive optics and optical diffusers, and spectral filters could also contribute to lower costs.

Yole's report, SWIR Imaging 2023, is available now via the company’s web site.

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Press release from NIT:

The NSC1801 line scan sensor was designed initially for imaging linearly moving objects with high frame rate, high sensitivity and low noise. Its pixel size has the world smallest size of 7.5µm that contributes the lower the manufacturing costs without increasing the cost of lenses.

Now NIT is pleased to release an updated version of NSC1801, where all key parameters have been reworked and overall performances improved. NSC1801 is currently installed in NIT Lisa SWIR cameras.

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Canon developing world-first ultra-high-sensitivity ILC equipped with SPAD sensor, supporting precise monitoring through clear color image capture of subjects several km away, even in darkness

TOKYO, April 3, 2023—Canon Inc. announced today that the company is developing the MS-500, the world's first1 ultra-high-sensitivity interchangeable-lens camera (ILC) equipped with a 1.0 inch Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) sensor2 featuring the world's highest pixel count of 3.2 megapixels3. The camera leverages the special characteristics of SPAD sensors to achieve superb low-light performance while also utilizing broadcast lenses that feature high performance at telephoto-range focal lengths. Thanks to such advantages, the MS-500 is expected to be ideal for such applications as high-precision monitoring.

The currently in-development MS-500 is equipped with a 1.0 inch SPAD sensor that reduces noise, thus making possible clear, full-color HD imaging even in extreme low-light environments. When paired with Canon's extensive range of broadcast lenses, which excel at super-telephoto image capture, the camera is capable of accurately capturing subjects with precision in extreme low-light environments, even from great distances. For example, the camera may be used for nighttime monitoring of seaports, thanks to its ability to spot vessels that are several km away, thus enabling identification and high-precision monitoring of vessels in or around the seaport.

With CMOS sensors, which are commonly used in conventional modern digital cameras, each pixel measures the amount of light that reaches the pixel within a given time. However, the readout of the accumulated electronic charge contains electronic noise, which diminishes image quality, due to the process by which accumulated light is measured. This leads to degradation of the resulting image, particularly when used in low-light environments. SPAD sensors, meanwhile, employ a technology known as "photon counting", in which light particles (photons) that enter each individual pixel are counted. When even a single photon enters a pixel, it is instantly amplified approximately 1 million times and output as an electrical signal. Every single one of these photons can be digitally counted, thus making possible zero-noise during signal readout—a key advantage of SPAD sensors4. Because of this technological advantage, the MS-500 is able to operate even under nighttime environments with no ambient starlight5, and is also capable of accurately detecting subjects with minimal illumination and capture clear color images.

The MS-500 employs the bayonet lens mount (based on BTA S-1005B standards) which is widely used in the broadcast lens industry. This enables the camera to be used with Canon's extensive range of broadcast lenses which feature superb optical performance. As a result, the camera is able to recognize and capture subjects that are several km away.

Going forward, Canon will continue to pursue R&D and create products capable of surpassing the limits of the human eye while contributing to the safety and security of society by leveraging its long history of comprehensive imaging technologies that include optics, sensors, image processing and image analysis.

Canon plans to commence sales of the MS-500 in 2023.

Reference

The MS-500 will be displayed as a reference exhibit at the Canon booth during the 2023 NAB Show for broadcast and filmmaking equipment, to be held in Las Vegas from Saturday, April 15 to Wednesday, April 19.

 1Among color cameras. As of April 2, 2023. Based on Canon research.

 2Among SPAD sensors for imaging use. As of April 2, 2023. Based on Canon research.

 3Total pixel count: 3.2 million pixels. Effective pixel count: 2.1 million pixels.

 4For more information on how SPAD sensors operate and how they differ from CMOS sensors, please visit the following website:

 https://global.canon/en/technology/spad-sensor-2021.html

 5Ambient starlight is equivalent to approximately 0.02 lux. A nighttime environment with no ambient starlight is equivalent to approximately 0.007 lux.

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https://metalenz.com/metalenz-wins-2023-prism-award/

San Francisco, CA – SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recognized the most innovative new optics and photonics products with the annual industry-focused Prism Awards. Metalenz was named winner of the Camera and Imaging category for PolarEyes, the Company’s breakthough polarization imaging platform designed around the unique capabilities of Metalenz meta-optics.

PolarEyes is the world’s first and only optical module that can instantly provide information about the material make-up and depth details of the imaged scene, thereby providing highly valuable, previously unavailable information to machine vision systems.

Traditional approaches to polarization imaging require a complex array of optics, waveplates and filters, resulting in modules that are too large, expensive, and inefficient for mass markets or small form-factor devices. Dr. Noah Rubin and Professor Federico Capasso demonstrated in foundational research that a single meta-optic can complete image all of the polarization information in a scene without filtering or loss of efficiency. Now, the team at Metalenz has productized this breakthrough with PolarEyes. The result is a full-Stokes polarization camera that is over 5000x more compact than traditional cameras. This brings powerful lab camera capabilities into tiny camera modules that fit into any smart or mobile device. More than a polarized meta-optic, this full-stack, system-level solution combines physics and optics, software and hardware to power machine vision systems for next-generation smartphones and consumer electronics, to new automotive, robotic and healthcare applications.

“We are honored to have this recognition from SPIE and the photonics community. With PolarEyes, we are using our metasurface technology to look beyond just solving size and performance in existing sensor modules. We are empowering billions of devices with new information that will change the way that people and machines interact with and understand the world.” Rob Devlin, Metalenz Co-founder and CEO.

More information from: https://metalenz.com/polareyes-polarization-imaging-system/

Metalenz's "PolarEyes" polarization-based imaging system is a microscopic sensing solution that harnesses the power of polarized light. PolarEyes characterizes depth, material properties and detects transparent objects–bringing new information to a mobile form factor for the first time.

Traditional approaches to polarization imaging require a complex array of light splitters and filters, resulting in modules that are too large, expensive and inefficient for mass markets or small form-factor devices. PolarEyes shrinks these powerful lab cameras into tiny camera modules that fit into any smart or mobile device.

Polarization provides an additional scene cue beyond intensity and depth which can be used for material classification, improved 3D sensing (surface normal reconstruction) and removing glare. Use cases include consumer electronics, robotics and automotive.

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EETimes article argues that LiDARs will be an important component in future ADAS systems.

Link: https://www.eetimes.com/the-future-of-lidar-lies-in-adas/ 

Cars are becoming more and more autonomous, to the point that self-driving is getting close to becoming real. High-performance sensors have enabled an ever-increasing number of advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) features, such as lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control and structures for detecting blind spots during overtaking.

ADAS serves as a useful tool for drivers as well as a response to the demand for improved safety requirements. LiDAR is one of the most important components of ADAS, as it can be used in adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, pedestrian detection and all use cases that require the detection and mapping of objects around the vehicle.

ADAS, which corresponds to Level 2 of the driving automation scale, is now standard in most cars. Sensors that can deliver a high level of safety are required for autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles. For automotive applications, this means that the sensor must be reliable in all-weather situations and unaffected by factors like sun, rain or fog. LiDAR sensors are also appropriate for use in high-vibration transport systems, such as driverless vehicles, mining, building and agriculture.

The article goes on to discuss two recent trends: solid-state LiDARs and spectrum-scan LiDARs.

Recently, we have witnessed a growing interest in solid-state LiDAR technology, i.e., a system that uses a laser source and a detector and that does not include scanning nor moving parts. Solid-state technology gradually measures and acquires the surrounding environment instead of depending on sequential measurements to send laser light in one direction, gather measurements and then change to another place, as in conventional optical LiDAR.

...

The Spectrum-Scan proprietary platform created by Baraja takes a distinct approach from traditional mechanical LiDAR systems. Instead of employing flimsy moving parts and oscillating mirrors to scan the surrounding area, refraction of light through prism-like optics is used. On the other hand, mechanically scanned sensors in the fast axis have expensive, large and prone-to-failure moving parts.

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