Samsung has added two new sensors to its ISOCELLVizion series. The first is a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor that measures the distance to an object, and the other is a global shutter image sensor. Starting with the SamsungISOCELLVizion63D, this is the industry's first sensor with an integrated depth-sensing ISP, so it can do the calculations on its own without relying on an additional chip. System power consumption can be reduced by up to 40% compared to previous Vizion33D sensors.
The 63D can capture 320x240 pixel depth information at up to 60fps, and also supports 640x480 pixel mode. It is an indirect ToF sensor, so it can measure the phase shift between the emitted light and the received light, making the measurement more accurate. This is a 1/6.4” sensor with 3.5μm pixels.
The sensor supports flood and spot lighting models - the former offers high resolution over a short range of 5m (16ft), the other extends the maximum range to 10m (33ft) but reduces resolution. The sensor is built with backscatter technology (BST), making it more sensitive to the infrared light it uses.
Samsung ISOCELLVizion63D will be used in service and industrial robots as well as XR devices and facial recognition. XR (i.e. AR and VR) is also another major focus for sensors.
ISOCELLVizion931 is a global shutter image sensor. Typically, image sensors read line by line, but this means that fast-moving objects can change in time between lines. This also works if the camera itself is moving quickly. Either way, you get what's called a "jelly" or rolling shutter effect, which makes the image recognition task more difficult because the software has to deal with the distorted image.
The Vizion931 is a global shutter sensor, which means all pixels are captured simultaneously, leaving no distortion. This is a 640x640 pixel sensor that can be used for iris recognition, eye tracking, and face and gesture detection in head-mounted display devices such as XR.
Such devices may require multiple sensors, so Samsung has implemented a technology called "Multipoint" - this allows up to four Vizion931 sensors to be connected with a single wire, simplifying the wiring of the product.
Both Samsung ISOCELLVizion63D and ISOCELLVizion931 have provided samples to global OEMs. Samsung Electronics may be one of them, as the company is rumored to be returning to the XR space in partnership with Google and Qualcomm.