SWIR-based sensing solution uses VCSEL technology

The new system integrates the company’s CMOS-based sensor with a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) as an illumination source. This upgraded system combined with VCSEL technology, says the company, will enable mass market applications with advanced SWIR capabilities.

The EO system integrates the TriEye Raven with 1350-nm SWIR VCSEL-based illumination, provided by the company’s VCSEL partner, to enable the highest power density – which is over 5W/mm2. This new EO system, says the company, will provide significant value for short-range applications such as mobile, biometrics, industrial automation, medical and more.

The solution is offered as the first to provide SWIR-based sensing using VCSEL technology. VCSEL technology was first used in the telecom industry and has been widely used around the world as a light source in sensing applications, but it has not been successfully integrated in the SWIR regime, limited to use within the VIS-NIR spectrum.

The company says its SWIR system opens doors to next-generation perception capabilities by providing a significant value proposition compared to the NIR spectrum. This includes resilience to sunlight and other sources of ambient noises while providing an eye-safe illumination source. With this combination, the perception system will have longer range and better accuracy than previously achievable with NIR based systems.

The announcement follows the company’s unveiling of its SEDAR, offered as the ultimate perception system for automotive applications, along with their recent acquisition of $74M in funding to support their global expansion and to enable short-wave infrared sensing for mass market applications. The company says it will present its solution to a select group of customers during CES 2022.