Machine vision company Silc Technologies has launched a new compact vision sensor, which will be the first commercially available chip-integrated FMCW lidar sensor for the mobility, robotics and security sectors.
The Eyeonic Vision Sensor is designed to provide lidar systems with a new level of performance by providing accurate instantaneous depth, velocity, and dual-polarisation intensity information, while enabling immunity to multi-user and environmental interference.
These features will enable robotic vehicles and machines to have the necessary data to perceive and classify their environment and help them predict future dynamics using low-latency, low-compute power and rule-based algorithms.
Silc added by harvesting the additional information that is carried by photons, Eyeonic is the foundation for the next generation of machine vision. At its centre is is Silc’s silicon photonic chip which integrates lidar functionality into a single, small chip.
According to the company, representing decades of silicon photonics innovation, this chip is the only readily-integratable solution for manufacturers building the next generation of autonomous vehicles, security solutions and industrial robots.
“Eyeonic will be transformational to many industries across the globe by enabling the anticipated mass migration to coherent imaging,” said Mehdi Asghari, founder and CEO, SiLC.
“Our innovative manufacturing process puts SiLC in the optimal position to provide the key building blocks needed for this next wave of significant innovation – at a competitive price.”
Silc intends to make this technology available to all systems integrators and end-users, starting with enabling early access to strategic partners. Offered in two configurations, fibre and fibreless, Eyeonic is designed to addresses the current roadblocks facing industries that rely upon vision sensors to embrace burgeoning market opportunities.
Fibreless vision sensors have long been sought after as they enable the lowest cost in a compact configuration. The fibre pigtailed Eyeonic allows for design flexibility by supporting configurations where the FMCW lidar transceiver and scanning unit are at different locations. Silc will also be offering reference designs and evaluation units for fully integrated systems based on the Eyeonic platform.
