Recently, Coherent (NYSE: COHR ), a leader in semiconductor lasers, and TriEye, a pioneer in mass-market short-wave infrared (SWIR) sensing technology, jointly announced that they have successfully demonstrated a and robotic laser-illuminated shortwave infrared imaging systems.
The growing number of use cases for SWIR imaging, extending the "vision" of cars and robots beyond visible light, is driving mass-market demand for low-cost SWIR cameras. Utilizing the TriEye Spectrally Enhanced Detection and Ranging (SEDAR) platform and Coherent's SWIR semiconductor lasers, the two companies have co-designed a laser-illuminated SWIR imaging system, the first of its kind, capable of relatively Very high performance solution at low cost. The combination of these features is expected to enable widespread deployment in applications such as automotive forward and rear-facing cameras, and industrial and autonomous robot vision systems.
Using TriEye's proprietary depth algorithm, SEDAR technology generates point clouds that are calculated pixel by pixel using a pulsed lighting method. The combination of high-definition (HD) depth information and SWIR imagery provides an optimal spatial layout of the environment, informed by real-time dynamic scene optimization.
"This new solution combines state-of-the-art SWIR imaging and laser illumination technology, enabling next-generation SWIR cameras to deliver exceptional image quality in rain or fog, and in any lighting condition," said Sanjai Parthasarathi, Chief Marketing Officer, Coherent "Both technologies are produced using high-volume manufacturing platforms, which will allow them to achieve the economies of scale needed to penetrate the automotive and robotics markets."
Avi Bakal, CEO and co-founder of TriEye, said: "We are excited to partner with Coherent, a global leader in semiconductor lasers, to build an ecosystem that the automotive and industrial robotics industries can rely on to build the next generation of SWIR imaging solutions. This is the next step in the evolution of our innovative technology that will enable mass-market applications. Our collaboration will allow us to continue to revolutionize sensing capabilities and machine vision by incorporating SWIR technology into more emerging applications."
The SEDAR platform integrates TriEye's next-generation CMOS-based SWIR sensor with Coherent's surface-mount (SMT)-based 1375 nm edge-emitting laser (EEL). The laser-illuminated short-wave infrared imaging system will enable next-generation automotive cameras to provide environmental images in severe weather, while meeting eye safety requirements. It will also enable autonomous robots to operate 24/7 in any lighting condition and move seamlessly between indoor and outdoor environments.
Coherent and TriEye are demonstrating the SWIR imaging system at LASER World of Photonics 2023 in Munich, Germany, June 27-30.
According to previous reports from Memes Consulting, in 2021, TriEye has launched the first VCSEL-based short-wave infrared imaging system among similar products. The system integrates TriEye's CMOS-based short-wave infrared image sensor and VCSEL light source (with a wavelength of 1350 nm), which is expected to provide important value for short-range applications such as mobile devices, biometrics, industrial automation, and biomedicine.
Infrared windows are widely used in imaging system, such as germanium windows, silicon windows and sapphire windows.
Comments