Newsight Imaging Releases Cost-Effective Depth Imaging Sensor

Newsight Imaging, an Israeli startup specializing in machine vision sensors, spectral vision chips and systems, has released the NSI9000 single-chip (non-stacked) CMOS image sensor solution for depth imaging.

The new product features 5×5 μm pixels (1024×480 resolution), global shutter (up to 132 fps at full resolution). The sensor is designed for 0-200 meters. The new chip provides new capabilities at a competitive price for the significant growth markets of LiDAR systems, automotive ADAS, AR/VR applications, Industry 4.0 and Smart Cities/IoT (including 3D vision systems for smart transportation).

The sensor is the result of five years of collaborative innovation between Newsight and its partners such as Fraunhofer and Tower-Jazz. The product offers unique capabilities including:

Newsight's patented enhanced time-of-flight (eTOF) technology is well proven on the currently available NSI1000 sensor chip. The technology uses multiple group configurations, in-pixel accumulation, and a novel depth calculation method that does not require a high-performance and expensive MCU for maximum flexibility.

Event-aware unique circuitry: The solution supports event-driven imaging, with a unique circuit on each pixel that broadcasts only rows with pixels that have changed from the previous frame. This feature is designed for cameras supporting smart cities and smart transportation solutions.

Multi-triangulation: Unique solution for Industry 4.0 applications and measurement equipment with 480 ultra-precise depth points, accurate to the micron level, for close-range 3D inspection of rail objects.

Built-in fusion functionality allows the sensor to extract full-resolution black-and-white images and depth images from the same frame of data, making it easy for system developers to implement image and depth fusion.

The chip is designed using a standard CMOS image sensor process with only two system power supply requirements (1.8V, 3.3V), making it a low-power, easy-to-integrate and affordable solution for the mass market.

Newsight NSI9000 vs. Competitors

“Newsight has implemented important, proven innovations in this sensor and accelerated the solution’s capabilities to meet the high-end requirements of our customers’ target applications,” said Eyal Yatskan, Newsight CTO and co-founder. “Newsight believes that such advanced solutions can be used to build high-volume products with the best ROI depth imaging at a more cost-effective price point.”