Infineon Announces Cooperation with PMD, Camboard pico

Infineon introduces a family of 3D Image Sensor chips for implementation of touchless gesture recognition. Developed in cooperation with PMD, the new chips are the first to combine a 3D image sensing pixel array with the digital conversion and control functionality needed to design very compact and accurate monocular systems for gesture recognition applications in computers and consumer electronics devices.

The Infineon chip family is said to have the highest level of integration now available, including the photosensitive pixel array, control logic, digital interfaces with ADCs and digital outputs. The Infineon 3D Image Sensor family currently includes two members. The IRS1010C has a resolution of 160x120 pixels and the IRS1020C has a resolution of 352x288 pixels. Both are dynamically configurable via I²C interface, allowing adjustment in real time to changing lighting and operating conditions. The chips are delivered as bare die for integration with camera lens and IR illumination source in a camera module. Samples of the Infineon 3D Image Sensors are now available for development of 3D camera systems. Volume production is planned for mid-2014.

Infineon-PMD ToF Sensor

Also available is the CamBoard pico, said to be the world’s smallest reference design for 3D cameras. Designed by PMD, this USB-powered QQVGA resolution 3D camera is based on the IRS1010C 3D Image Sensor chip. It measures only 85 x 17 x 8 mm³, which makes it the smallest depth sensing camera available today.

At Computex Show PMD is going to present an even smaller 3D camera - the CamBoard picoS having a z-height of just 6.6mm. Here is the CamBoard picoS next to the CamBoard pico: