STMicroelectronics announced collaboration with eYs3D Microelectronics on high-quality machine vision at CES 2023. The companies demonstrated how stereo video and depth camera made from advanced active-coded infrared technology can enhance capabilities like feature recognition and autonomous guidance at mid-to-long working range.

“STMicroelectronics’ advanced image sensors, using proprietary process technologies, offer class-leading pixel size while offering both high sensitivity and low crosstalk,” said James Wang, Chief Strategy & Sales Officer, eYs3D Microelectronics. “Such high-performance image sensors, at a competitive price point enable us to achieve extremely compact system size while ensuring outstanding machine-vision performance. The strong connection we have established with ST increases our confidence to develop new products that will lead the machine vision market.”

“The collaboration with eYs3D Microelectronics, through their expertise in capture, perception understanding, and 3D-fusion, offers ST additional business opportunities, use cases, and ecosystems, addressing demands for stereo vision in applications such as robots, home-automation, home appliances, and many others,” said David Maucotel, Business Line Manager at ST’s Imaging Sub-Group. “While the reference designs showcased at CES are using monochromatic sensors, we can already foresee exciting enhancements and further use-cases using the RGB and RGB-IR versions of our sensors.”

Available Reference Designs

The CES demonstrations highlighted two jointly developed reference designs – they are Ref-B6 and Ref-B3 ASV (Active Stereo Vision) video and depth cameras. Both combine the eYs3D CV processor and eSP876 stereo 3D Depth-Map chipset with ST’s global shutter image sensors that provide enhanced near-infrared (NIR) sensitivity.

The embedded eYs3D chipset enhances object edge detection. It optimizes depth de-noising and outputs HD-quality 3D depth data up to 60fps. ST’s image sensors enable the cameras to output data streams in various combinations of video/depth resolution and frame rate. This results in the best quality depth sensing and point-cloud creation.

In addition, optimized lenses, filters and a VCSEL active-IR projector source optimize the infrared optical path. They maximize immunity to ambient light noise. A specially developed control algorithm turns the IR projector On and Off alternately. This process permits capturing artifact-free gray scale images. Leveraging this advanced hardware design, the Ref-B6 stereo-video camera achieves a 6-centimeter baseline and 85deg(H) x 70deg(V) depth field of view.

Both eYs3D reference designs include the Software Development Kit (SDK) supporting Windows®, Linux and Android OS environments with multiple different programming languages and wrapper APIs.

eYs3D displays the joint development Ref-B6 Depth Camera at LVCC, Booth #15769, Central Hall and Venetian, Eureka Park, Booth #62500, AT1, Hall G.