Munich, Germany, and Las Vegas, NV, USA – January 5, 2017 – The REAL3™ image sensor chip from Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) plays a key role in the newest innovative Augmented Reality (AR) smartphone by ASUS. The mobile device was launched yesterday at International CES ® 2017 (International Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas. The ASUS Zenfone AR is the world’s thinnest smartphone that offers a 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera for 3-dimensional perception of its surroundings in real-time.
AR enriches the perception of the real environment with written text as well as virtual objects that are embedded in correct scale and realistic perspective. For instance, these virtual objects may be animated animals or domino bricks in gaming applications. Projecting virtual furniture into a real home environment before ordering items at an online store is another application example. Besides consumer applications, AR can also be used in industrial manufacturing for maintenance of complex equipment and construction.
Both the Infineon REAL3 image sensor and the ASUS Zenfone AR smartphone are on display at the Infineon CES booth MP25265 in South Hall 2 of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Time-of-Flight provides accurate and robust depth data
The REAL3 image sensor chip is the key component of the world’s smallest 3D camera module for smartphones. It is based on the Time-of-Flight (ToF) principle and measures the time the infrared signal takes to travel from the camera to the object and back again. The elapsed time is called “time of flight”. Compared to other 3D sensing principles, ToF offers advantages in performance, size and power consumption of battery-operated mobile devices.
ASUS is among the world’s largest smartphone manufacturers. Its newest smartphone is less than 9 mm in height. It demonstrates that the REAL3 camera module which has a total height of only 5.9 mm is fully compatible with even the smallest smartphone form factors. Another winning characteristic of the 3D camera module is its low power consumption: it requires less than 150 mW during operation which can be easily delivered by the Zenfone AR’s state-of-the-art 3,300 mAh battery. The ASUS Zenfone AR smartphone is expected to hit the stores later this year.
“3D scanning with semiconductors from Infineon helps to interconnect the real and virtual worlds,” said Martin Gotschlich, Director, 3D Imaging at Infineon Technologies. “Mobile devices with an integrated 3D image sensor have spatial awareness of their surroundings and the capability for augmented reality applications with an impressive realistic quality. They pave the way for numerous applications and innovations that were not previously possible.”
Coming strong: Augmented Reality in smartphones
Today, AR is in an early introduction phase representing a niche market. It will be up to smartphone users to identify applications that they desire in the course of their daily life. This may realize a huge business potential: just the premium segment of smartphones is rated to be more than 400 million devices sold each year. Currently, already four of the top five camera module makers for mobile devices and smartphones are actively working on camera module designs using Infineon’s REAL3 image sensor. Two of them are already delivering devices in volume quantities. These module designs are inspired by the leading ToF camera reference designs by the company pmdtechnologies.
About the cooperation between Infineon and pmdtechnologies
Infineon co-developed the 3D image sensor chip family REAL3 with pmdtechnologies AG from Siegen, Germany. Both companies are jointly providing the technical support for camera module makers. The contribution of pmdtechnologies to the REAL3 chip family is the ToF pixel matrix. Infineon contributes all functional blocks for the system-on-chip (SoC) integration and developed the manufacturing process. The 3D image sensor chips are produced in Infineon’s Dresden plant with a CMOS process optimized for ToF using microlens technology.
Further information
More information about the 3D image sensor family of Infineon and about the company’s demonstrations at CES 2017 is available at www.infineon.com/real3 and at www.infineon.com/CES.
About pmdtechnologies
pmdtechnologies AG, a fabless IC company based in Siegen/Germany and San Jose/USA, is the worldwide leading 3D Time-of-Flight CMOS-based digital imaging technology supplier. Started up in 2002, the company owns over 150 worldwide patents concerning pmd-based applications, the pmd measurement principle and its realization. Addressed markets for pmd’s 3D sensors are industrial automation, automotive and the wide field of consumer applications like AR/VR. Further information is available at www.pmdtec.com.
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG is a world leader in semiconductor solutions that make life easier, safer and greener. Microelectronics from Infineon is the key to a better future. In the 2016 fiscal year (ending September 30), the company reported sales of about Euro 6.5 billion with more than 36,000 employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the over-the-counter market OTCQX International Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY).
