{"id":577373,"date":"2024-01-09T10:00:13","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T15:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/?p=577373"},"modified":"2024-01-09T09:48:55","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T14:48:55","slug":"silc-launches-eyeonic-mini-ces-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/silc-launches-eyeonic-mini-ces-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Eyeonic Vision System Mini unveiled by SiLC Technologies at CES 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Eyeonic

The Eyeonic Vision System Mini is designed to be compact and power-efficient. Source: SiLC Technologies<\/p><\/div>\n

SiLC Technologies Inc. today at CES launched its Eyeonic Vision System Mini, which integrates a full, multi-channel frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) lidar on a single silicon photonic chip and an integrated FMCW lidar system on chip (SoC). The Eyeonic Mini “sets a new industry benchmark in precision,” said the Monrovia, Calif.-based company.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur FMCW lidar platform aims to enable a highly versatile and scalable platform to address the needs of many applications,\u201d said Dr. Mehdi Asghari, CEO of SiLC Technologies, in a release.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt CES this year, we\u2019re demonstrating our long-range vision capabilities of over 2 km [1.2 mi.],” he added. “With the Eyeonic Mini, we\u2019re showcasing our high precision at shorter distances. Our FMCW lidar solutions, at short or long distances, bring superior vision to machines to truly enable the next generation of AI based automation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Founded in 2018, SiLC Technologies said its 4D+ Eyeonic lidar chip integrates all the photonics functions needed to enable a coherent vision sensor. The company<\/a> added that the system offers a small footprint and addresses the need for low power consumption and cost, making it suitable for robotics, autonomous vehicles, biometrics, security, and industrial automation.<\/p>\n

In November 2023, SiLC raised<\/a> $25 million to expand production of its Eyeonic Vision System.<\/p>\n

Eyeonic Mini uses Surya SoC for precision<\/h2>\n

To be useful, robots need powerful, compact, and scalable vision that won’t be affected by complex or unpredictable environments or conditions, as well as interference from other systems, asserted SiLC Technologies. Sensors<\/a> must also provide motion, velocity, polarization, and precision, capabilities that the company<\/a> said make FMCW superior to existing time-of-flight (ToF) systems.<\/p>\n

FMCW technology enables newer imaging systems to directly capture images for AI, factory robots, home security, autonomous vehicles, and perimeter security applications, said SiLC.<\/p>\n

The Eyeonic Mini uses<\/a> what it described as “the industry\u2019s first purpose-built” digital lidar processor SoC<\/a>, the iND83301 or “Surya\u201d developed by indie Semiconductor. As a result, the company<\/a> said, it can deliver “an order of magnitude greater precision than existing technologies while being one-third the size of last year’s pioneering model.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Eyeonic Mini represents the next evolution of our close collaboration with SiLC. The combination of our two unique technologies has created an industry-leading solution in performance, size, cost, and power,\u201d said Chet Babla, senior vice president for strategic marketing at indie Semiconductor. \u201cThis creates a strong foundation for our partnership to grow and address multiple markets, including industrial automation and automotive.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Surya, a four-channel FMCW lidar chip provides robots with sub-millimeter depth precision from distances exceeding 10 m (32.8 ft.), said SiLC. This is useful for warehouse automation and machine vision applications, it noted.<\/p>\n