Melexis has signed an agreement with Sony to further expand the time-of-flight offering for automobile safety and infotainment markets. Earlier this week on October 8, Sony acquired SoftKinetic, a Belgium-based developer of sensor-to-software 3D gesture solutions including the patented DepthSense time-of-flight sensor technology. Melexis has been licensed under this technology for a number of years for products such as the MLX75023, the world’s first automotive time-of-flight sensor in production.
Melexis will enter into a license agreement with Sony for the DepthSense time-of-flight sensor technology, upon Sony’s acquisition of SoftKinetic, and will collaborate with Sony to further expand this technology. The products derived from this collaboration will be fabricated at Sony’s world-class wafer fabrication facility in image sensor technology, supporting further its offering to customers worldwide looking for solutions in the area of gesture recognition.
Francoise Chombar, CEO Melexis, said, “The combination of Sony’s superior image sensor technology and our year-long automotive sensor know-how and experience provides an exciting new platform for enhancing the time-of-flight technology. This innovative technology could dramatically change the way drivers communicate with their vehicles. No more touch screens or knobs, but a simple gesture might suffice in the future.”
One of Melexis’s flagship products in the area of gesture recognition is the MLX75023, the world’s first automotive time-of-flight sensor in production. This sensor enables customers to develop a compact, sunlight robust, automotive 3D camera. The MLX75023 works in full sunlight, making it the perfect solution for a vehicle’s cockpit. It can be used for natural 3D gesture recognition and robust driver monitoring, bringing a new level of infotainment navigation control and safety features.
October 9, 2015
