LG Innotek announced it has partnered with technology company Microsoft to expand its foothold in the 3D sensing camera market. The South Korean electronic component manufacturing company will collaborate with Microsoft for 3D vision technologies and innovation for various industries. Under the memorandum of understanding, the two companies would develop LG Innotek’s ToF (Time of Flight) modules for Microsoft’s Azure Depth Platform.
“Microsoft’s Azure Depth Platform program has selected LG Innotek as a scaling partner due to its leading-edge technologies and production capabilities,” said Eun Jong-Yun, head of LG Innotek’s Optics Solution Product Planning Division. Microsoft’s Azure is a cloud-computing platform for operating applications, and last year, it obtained the second-largest global cloud-computing market share. Through its leading 3D sensing technologies, LG Innotek will develop the ToF, which offers data input services to various devices.
3D Sensing Cameras for Various Applications
Notably, the ToF module three-dimensionally retrieves spatial information and object positions for a camera’s scene analysis capacity. Since it directly collects spatial information instead of inferring from 2D cameras, the 3D ToF simplifies scene analysis operations.
The 3D module features special optical designs, illumination technology, sensors, and other capabilities due to its advanced analysis and computation. By incorporating drive and optical technologies, LG Innotek has created a high-performing, ultra-slim camera with state-of-the-art design, capacity, and quality. In addition to its various commercial uses, the ToF supports augmented and virtual reality, biometrics authentication, motion tracking, and more.
“Our collaboration with Microsoft will enable LG Innotek to help ecosystem partners on new designs and expand the application areas of 3D sensing modules behind smartphones,” continued Eun.
Aside from being principal components of 3D sensing cameras and supporting Azure, ToF modules can be used in various industries. For instance, the healthcare and fitness industry can use 3D ToF modules for taking patients’ body measurements and robotic surgeries.
Similarly, the logistics and retail industries can use the 3D ToF to keep track of inventories and manage customer transactions. Factories can also use LG Innotek’s cloud-connected camera technologies for monitoring production operations to avoid accidents.
Furthermore, LG Innotek stated that the Microsoft partnership could expand its 3D sensing camera applications beyond smartphone usages. LG Innotek also targets to begin the cloud-connected 3D cameras’ mass production during 2021’s second half.
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