Coherent collaborated with TriEye in shortwave infrared imaging to design a laser illumination shortwave infrared imaging system

It is reported that recently, Coherent (New York Stock Exchange stock code: COHR), the leader in the field of semiconductor lasers, and TriEye, the pioneer of mass market short wave infrared (SWIR) sensing technology, jointly announced that they had successfully demonstrated the laser illumination short wave infrared imaging system for cars and robots.

The increasing number of use cases for shortwave infrared imaging has expanded the "vision" of cars and robots beyond visible light, driving the demand for low-cost shortwave infrared cameras in the mass market. The two companies used the TriEye Spectral Enhanced Detection and Ranging (SEDAR) platform and Coherent's shortwave infrared semiconductor laser to jointly design a laser illuminated shortwave infrared imaging system. This is the first solution in its class that can achieve very high performance at a low cost under various environmental conditions. The combination of these features is expected to be widely deployed in applications such as automotive forward and backward cameras and industrial and Autonomous robot vision systems.

Using TriEye's proprietary depth algorithm, SEDAR technology can generate point clouds that are calculated by pixel using pulse illumination methods. The combination of high-definition (HD) depth information and shortwave infrared images provides the optimal spatial layout of the environment, and provides information through real-time dynamic scene optimization.

This new solution combines state-of-the-art shortwave infrared imaging and laser lighting technology, enabling the next generation of shortwave infrared cameras to provide excellent imaging quality in rainy or foggy days, as well as under any lighting conditions. "said Sanjai Parthasarathi, Chief Marketing Officer of Coherent," Both technologies are produced using mass production platforms, which will enable them to achieve the economies of scale required to penetrate the automotive and robotics markets

Avi Bakal, CEO and co-founder of TriEye, stated: We are pleased to collaborate with Coherent, a global leader in the semiconductor laser field, to establish an ecosystem that the automotive and industrial robotics industries can rely on to build next-generation shortwave infrared imaging solutions. This is the next step in our technological innovation and development, which will realize mass market applications. Our collaboration will enable us to integrate shortwave infrared technology into more emerging applications, thereby continuing to innovate sensing capabilities and mechanisms Instrumental vision

The SEDAR platform integrates TriEye's next-generation CMOS based shortwave infrared sensor with Coherent's surface mount (SMT) based 1375 nm edge emitting laser (EEL). On the premise of meeting human eye safety, the laser illuminated shortwave infrared imaging system will enable the next generation of car cameras to provide environmental images in adverse weather conditions. It will also enable the Autonomous robot to operate under any lighting conditions all day, and move seamlessly between indoor and outdoor environments.

Coherent and TriEye showcased the shortwave infrared imaging system at the LASER World of Photonics in Munich, Germany from June 27th to 30th.

The Coherent booth of the 2023 Munich Optoelectronics Exhibition in Germany showcased this shortwave infrared imaging system, aimed at all-weather imaging applications in the automotive and industrial robotics fields.

According to previous reports from Maims Consulting, in 2021, TriEye launched the first shortwave infrared imaging system based on VCSEL among similar products. This system integrates TriEye's CMOS based shortwave infrared image sensor and VCSEL light source (wavelength 1350 nm), which is expected to provide important value for short distance applications such as mobile devices, biometrics, industrial automation, and biomedical applications.

Source: Laser Network