Neonode: zForce

Recently, Neonode's optical touch solution - zForce hits ASUS portable device. The most possible is tablet such 5~13" display size. That's very interesting. Compared with iPad that use 9.7" (in diagonal) capacitive touch panel, ASUS pad-like product could use bigger size. Bigger size, higher cost for capacitive touch. Maybe it is the cost issue make zForce attractive.

3DV systems : ZCam - depth camera

ZCam is the RGB and depth cameras for gesture application. 3DV systems joined Microsoft Natal project for gaming technology development, and later they were acquired by Microsoft in 2009.

iDTI: in-cell optical touch panel

Integrated Digital Technologies, Inc (iDTI), Taiwan company, recently revealed its big step to touch panel - They can operate finger touch on in-cell optical touch panel. Compared with its previous generation - touch by pen, this is really a good news

Optical mount

Optical mount is a mechanical part of optical systems, determining the alignment, robust, and precision. Any variation would affect optical performance in geometric and these factors are vibration, temperature drift, acoustic fluctuation, shock, chemical corrosion...etc.

Mirror is particularly sensitive to any fluctuation because any geometric variation would amplify the change of optical path. For example, angle tilt of mirror causes reflection angle double.

How Kinect works with PrimeSense -2

Supplement for my article "How Kinect works with Prime Sense"
Here lists the reference patents of the diagram and pictures.

Toshiba 3CCD

Toshiba's IK-HD1 is a very small 3CCD camera, which dimension size is 32.6x38.6x41mm and 65g in weight. 3CCD uses three CCD image sensor chips to record R,G,B separately, unlike common demosaic type camera that each pixel contains three color filters.

How Kinect works with PrimeSense

Microsoft applys 3D motion sensing technology into XBox - Kinect, letting users interact with gaming freely without controller in hand. Camera and gesture recognition make the function of motion sensing. PrimeSense delivers the chip and structure to the 3D sensing technology, helping Microsoft to achieve controller-free entertainment device.

Edmund open Taiwan office

Edmund optics, supplier of optical components, open an office in Taichung, Taiwan.

Johnson Chang  is the leader of sales team in new office. Edmund expect rapid growth in demand for optical components, especially vision systems and lens.

It took long time that Edmund decided to open office in Taiwan.
Before, there were many distributors to sell Edmund products. But most customers buy small and low cost components,and even some like to shop online for cheaper price.
If Edmund build a service team in Taiwan, this would make their advanced products attractive.

Silicon 60 - optoelectronic field

The EE Time 60 Emerging Startups list reflects the latest corporate, commercial, technology and market conditions.
(http://www.eetimes.com/General/DisplayPrintViewContent?contentItemId=4210527)
I simplify the list  within optoelectronic filed:

Canesta: time-of-flight CMOS sensor

Recently, Canesta agree to be acquired by Microsoft.

Microsoft: 3D Gesture Recognition

Microsoft' CEO, Steven A. Ballmer, discussed Microsoft's plans to advance the gesture technology well beyond video games in recent interview. "I'm excited to be way out in front and want to push the pedal on that", he said.

Corning stop synthetic green laser

Corning has decided to discontinue its development and commercialization of synthetic green lasers.

Pixel Qi

2010 IEEE ACE award for "Emerging Technology with greatest  promise for financial success" winner: Pixel Qi, its dual mode screen provides both e-paper readability and full-color video.

Micron Technology: FLCOS

FLCOS(Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal On Silicon), derivative of LCoS, is used in projector.

(LCos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_crystal_on_silicon)

EUV lithography-2

Throughput is a big issue of EUV.
Why?

1.Reflective optics has finite reflectivity about 70% at 16.5nm(EUV wavelength).
2.There are more than 11 reflection surfaces from light source to waver.

So very small light power pump into waver.
One solution is to enhance the reflection of multi-layer coating, and another is to increase the power of light source.

Sony BRiLL

Sony release an integrated optical head for DVD.

ORA acquired by Synopsys

ORA (Optical Research Associate) is now part of Synopsys.

       

MIT: non-contact heart rate measurement

Ming-Zher Poh, Phd candidate of MIT Media Lab, develops a non-invasive technique  to measure the heart rate by using camera, accurate to within 3 beats/minute.

OPTEX: 3D Image Camera

Optex is based in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. 

Optex introduced the world's first infrared-based automatic door sensor in 1980 and since has become a world leading supplier of infrared-based sensor products for applications in the security, automatic door, factory automation, environment monitoring, and transportation fields. The company's core sensing technology - a fusion of infrared and image processing techniques - provides cost efficient and reliable products that can detect objects and humans with accuracy. 

Violet Diode Laser: Sony

Sony announce to play in violet laser diode market some time ago.

As a winner in Blue Ray Disc, Sony must take care of the most important part of optical head - laser diode.