PMDTec: Latest News http://www.pmdtec.com/ We keep our customers and partners in the loop en PMDTec: Latest News http://www.pmdtec.com/fileadmin/templates/pics/pmd_logo.gif http://www.pmdtec.com/ 148 93 We keep our customers and partners in the loop TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:07:00 +0200 PMD[vision]® CamBoard nano - first demo video available! http://www.pmdtec.com/news-press/news/detail/pmdvision-camboard-nano-first-demo-video-available/ 1 LED. 1 image sensor. That's it! To get an impression of the latest PMD reference design just... To get a glimpse of the new video, just have a look at our youtube channel or watch it on www.PMDTec.com/nano!

Small but mighty: The PMD[vision]® CamBoard nano with dimensions of 37x30x25mm is the smallest depth sensor reference design available worldwide and opens up a new dimension for integrating a high resolution 3D depth sensing camera into your application. Providing a frame rate of up to 90fps at 160x120px with a 90° field of view, the CamBoard nano is outstandingly suitable for contactless Human-Machine-Interfaces based on gesture detection. It delivers depth maps and gray value image data simultaneously. Therefore, it´s possible to analyze scenes based on 3D data only or in combination with 2D gray value data.

For more information feel free to contact sales@PMDTec.com or visit www.PMDTec.com/nano!

]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:07:00 +0200 PMDTechnologies starts new development center in Dresden/Germany http://www.pmdtec.com/news-press/news/detail/pmdtechnologies-starts-new-development-center-in-dresdengermany/ PMDTechnologies starts new development center in Dresden/Germany February 27th, 2012 –... During the past five years, the IEE Dresden team has developed sophisticated mixed-signal ASIC designs for innovative sensor applications. They also helped to develop the core 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) technology, which resulted in a variety of products based on IEE’s 3D MLI Sensor - the Tailgate Detector TDflex, People Counter and Volumetric Object Surveillor. The mixed-signal chip design, along with the test and qualification experience of the Dresden team, will further strengthen PMD’s leading position as a cutting-edge 3D ToF image sensor company. "The consolidation of the existing 3D ToF know-how at PMD and IEE Vision Sensing will advance PMD’s technology to new levels of innovation and quality,” says Prof. Mierau, PMD’s new Branch Manager Dresden.

In addition to the acquisition, IEE and PMD have also established a strategic cooperation. IEE will continue to expand their 3D image sensing product portfolio, particularly for automotive and building security applications, while PMD will use their six years of experience supplying mass market 3D chips, to support both IEE’s existing and new products. 

“Choosing PMD as a strategic partner for the 3D imager provides us with a long-term perspective and the opportunity to focus on IEE’s key activities in the area of developing 3D vision sensing products,” says Michel Witte, Senior Executive Vice President and co-founder of IEE. Dr. Bernd Buxbaum, Managing Director and CEO of PMD also sees benefits in the partnership for his company. “IEE is an internationally recognized player in the automotive market with demonstrated success,” he says. “Given their expertise, we are pleased to be working closely with IEE on PMD-based camera applications for their key target markets.”

About PMDTechnologies GmbH

PMDTechnologies, a fabless IC company is the worldwide leading 3D ToF CMOS-based digital imaging supplier. Founded in 2002 as a spin-off from the Center for Sensor Systems at the University of Siegen, PMD owns over 40 patents worldwide concerning PMD-based applications, the PMD (Photonic Mixer Device) principle and its realization. By 2010, the company had sold some 100,000 PMD sensors in various markets and applications. More than 60 highly-skilled engineers are employed by the German-based corporation headquartered in Siegen, working mainly on chip design, quality assurance and in the area of pre-series and product development.
For more information, please visit www.PMDTec.com.

About IEE

IEE S.A. is a privately-held innovative developer of specialized sensing systems. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Luxembourg, the company has operations in Europe, the US and Asia. IEE is a global leader in automotive safety sensing systems for occupant detection and classification. The company also provides people and object sensing solutions, based on 3D Time of Flight (ToF) technology,  that enhance building safety and management. These ToF applications have been awarded a total of six international innovation prizes in the automotive and building safety and management sectors. IEE has also developed key 3D ToF competencies in the design of illumination, optics, and 3D algorithms. The company’s solutions are dedicated to the following markets: Transportation & Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Public & Commercial Infrastructure, Automation & Logistics and Medical & Healthcare. IEE employs 1,600 people worldwide and over 10 % of the company's workforce is engaged in Research & Development.

For more information, please visit www.iee.lu.

PMDTechnologies GmbH Contact

Sabrina Buxbaum (MBA),
Corporate Strategy & Marketing

PMDTechnologies GmbH               
Am Eichenhang 50                   
57076 Siegen, Germany               

Phone: +49 271 23 85 38 828
Fax: +49 271 23 85 38 809
E-Mail: s.buxbaum@PMDTec.com
www.PMDTec.com

Click here for the official press release

]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:01:00 +0100 PMDTechnologies ramps 3D CMOS imager for mass market usage http://www.pmdtec.com/news-press/news/detail/pmdtechnologies-ramps-3d-cmos-imager-for-mass-market-usage/ PMD PhotonICs® 19k-S3 imager available on demand: High quality 3D image perception for everyone January 10, 2012 – Las Vegas, USA – PMDTechnologies announces at Consumer Electronics Show 2012 in Las Vegas that the companies 160x120 pixel 3D CMOS imager is ready for mass market usage. The PMD PhotonICs® 19k-S3 is the first commercially available 3D-ToF (Time-of-Flight) chip for camera developers and system integrators. Using the most mature 3D-ToF CMOS technology available worldwide, as it is used for the manufacturing of PMD products since 2005, the PMD PhotonICs® 19k-S in its 3rd generation gives customers a high quality level to start their unique application development and thus paves the way to new and innovative 3D perception based end products.
The 19k-S3 imager enables real-time capturing of distance and gray scale information. Due to the sensitivity and improved performance of the new PMD PhotonICs ® 19k-S3, high accuracy with extremely low power consumption is achievable. Read-out clocks of 15MPixel/s are possible. Thanks to the integrated SBI (Suppression of Background Illumination) technology, a well known PMD feature, this innovative product can be deployed in indoor and outdoor environments. The resistance to motion blur allows detecting fast moving objects. A Region-of-Interest (ROI) function enables a flexible and application specific lateral resolution. The 160x120 pixel resolution is optimized for close range human-machine interaction up to 2 meters.
The PMD PhotonICs ® 19k-S3 can be used for various use cases like  Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) for notebooks, tablets, mobiles and automotive applications, games and consumer electronics, automotive environmental perception, factory automation and mobile robotics, digital signage, security, surveillance and medical technology.
The PMD[vision]® CamBoard nano with dimensions of 37x30x25mm is the smallest depth sensor reference design available worldwide. Using just one infrared LED as an active illumination source and being USB powered, the CamBoard nano is a perfect starter kit to explore PMD technology for near range applications where the limitation of the installation space is obvious. However, the use cases can easily be extended by varying camera parameters such as optics, illumination power, frame rate, or modulation frequency among others.
Providing a frame rate of up to 90fps at full resolution of 160x120 pixel with a 90° Field-of-View, the CamBoard nano is suitable for HMIs based on gesture detection. It delivers depth maps and gray value image data simultaneously. Therefore, it is possible to analyze scenes based on 3D data only or in combination with 2D gray value information. This reference design equips our customers with an operational platform which facilitates the development of application-specific depth sensor systems, enabling them to reduce innovation cycles. To support use-case evaluations we offer our API PMDSDK2 for Linux and Windows (32bit/64bit) along with the latest generation of our visualization tool LightVis and our MATLAB for Windows interface PMDMDK supporting customers to turn their ideas into reality. The ready-to-use software package also enables the exploration of multi-camera use cases.
"We are convinced that the availability of the 19k-S and the CamBoard nano reference design will initiate a 3D-ToF community, enabling applications, demos and product solutions we all don’t think of so far", says Dr. Bernd Buxbaum, CEO of PMDTechnologies. “The opportunities and use cases are endless as the PMD technology is very scalable in terms of size, performance and cost.” 
"Natural touchless user interfaces based on depth sensing require a vision of the user experience and the right tools", adds Jochen Penne, Director Business Development at PMDTechnologies. “We are happy to provide the sensor tools to let the visions of next-generation user interfaces become alive.”
 
About PMDTechnologies GmbH
PMDTechnologies, a fabless IC company, is the worldwide leading 3D ToF CMOS-based digital imaging supplier. Founded in 2002 as a spin-off from the Center for Sensor Systems at the University of Siegen, PMDTec owns about 40 patents worldwide concerning PMD-based applications, the PMD principle and its realization. By 2010, the company had sold some 100,000 PMD sensors in various markets and applications. About 60 high skilled engineers are employed by the German based corporation working mainly on the chip design, quality assurance and in the area of pre-series and product development. For more information, please visit www.PMDTec.com.

PMDTechnologies GmbH Contact

Sabrina Buxbaum (MBA), Corporate Strategy & Marketing
Phone: +49 271 23 85 38 828
E-Mail: s.buxbaum@PMDTec.com

Click here for the official press release

]]> Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:59:00 +0100 PMDTec's 3D ToF technology for AUDI: Tomorrow’s driver assistance and safety systems http://www.pmdtec.com/news-press/news/detail/pmdtecs-3d-tof-technology-for-audi-tomorrows-driver-assistance-and-safety-systems/ German car manufacturer Audi AG officially announced, that the company will use PMD’s unique 3D ToF... The first application will be automatic full braking in city traffic called pre sense city, which is based on PMD’s innovative, compact, robust and most mature 3D sensor technology, in whose basic development Audi played a significant role over the last years. PMD technology, which is already established in other market segments, offers more than just packaging advantages over other sensor systems. PMD sensors can detect both moving and stationary targets, and they also work under varying and uncooperative environmental conditions e.g. in the dark, in the rain and in bright sunshine.

Here an extract of the official AUDI news:

“Driver assistance systems will become dramatically more important in the future. Audi engineers are working on a wide variety of solutions intended to make using the car even more convenient and safer. The new systems strive to make things even easier for the driver and to prevent, or at least mitigate the severity of, accidents.
Audi is developing innovative solutions involving sensors, their control and the interaction between the modules. The networking of the car with the infrastructure and other traffic participants, which at Audi falls under the term “Audi connect,” is also very important here. Audi’s ultimate goal is a car that is so intelligent that it can avoid accidents entirely.

pre sense city

Automatic full braking in city traffic is based on an innovative compact sensor technology, in whose basic development Audi played a significant role some years ago. The PMD sensor (PMD = photonic mixing device) is a small chip that can measure distances in three dimensions with greater precision than conventional sensor systems.
PMD technology, which is already established in entertainment electronics, offers more than just packaging advantages over other sensor systems. Photo mixing devices can detect both moving and stationary targets, and they also work in the dark, in the rain and in bright sunshine.
In the event of an impending rear-end collision with the car ahead at speeds up to 65 km/h (40.39 mph), Pre sense city warns the driver by briefly applying the brakes. If the driver does not react, the system applies the brakes with full power roughly one second before impact, reducing the collision speed by as much as 30 km/h (18.64 mph).
Another important function of pre sense city is the predictive protection of pedestrians, which the PMD sensor can detect at distances of up to 20 meters (65.62 ft). When the sensor reports a precarious situation, such as a pedestrian stepping onto the road, the system decides whether full braking is necessary.
If yes, full braking ideally would begin roughly one second before impact in this case, too. The maximum possible reduction of speed by 30 km/h (18.64 mph) means that in some cases the car can come to stop in time. The predictive pre sense technology provides good protection for pedestrians and cyclists. The intelligent system can contribute significantly to passenger protection in critical situations by rapidly reducing speed.”

For the full AUDI news click here.

For more information please contact sales@PMDTec.com!

]]> Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:22:00 +0100 PMDTec participates in VISION 2011 http://www.pmdtec.com/news-press/news/detail/pmdtec-participates-in-vision-2011/ PMDTec will participate in the Vision 2011 in Stuttgart, November 8th-11th!
  • VISION 2011
    Stittgart - Germany
    08 - 11 November 2011
    www.vision-messe.de

    • If you would like to fix a meeting or just see a live demo, please get in touch with our team using events@PMDTec.com.

    ]]>     Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:18:00 +0200     PMDTechnologies Bundles PMD[vision]® CamCube High Resolution 3D Camera with Omek Interactive's Beckon™ SDK http://www.pmdtec.com/news-press/news/detail/pmdtechnologies-bundles-pmdvisionR-camcube-high-resolution-3d-camera-with-omek-interactives-beck/ New PMD[vision]® CamCube Bundle Provides a Complete Solution for Creating Compelling Interactive... September 12, 2011 – Siegen, Germany – PMDTechnologies announced today that as part of a PMD[vision]® CamCube Bundle purchase, users are entitled to a complimentary copy of the Omek Beckon™ Development Suite, especially optimized for the PMD[vision]® CamCube 3.0 based on the latest PMD chip generation. The bundle enables developers to incorporate applications and solutions with natural and intuitive gesture-based interfaces across a wide variety of target platforms, including interactive digital signage, multimedia, robotics, security & surveillance, medical devices and more.
    The PMD[vision]® CamCube 3.0 is the highest resolution all-solid-state 3D TOF (time-of-flight) camera available. The CamCube 3.0’s image sensor, with 200x200 pixel resolution, makes it possible to capture real-time distance and grayscale information. The PMD technology, which has been used in mass production since 2005, offers stable performance even under difficult environmental conditions. The high sensitivity and improved pixel performance of the new PhotonICs® PMD 41k-S2 lead to precise depth accuracy even at high distances and high 3D frame rates. Thanks to integrated SBI technology (suppression of background illumination) the camera can be deployed in indoor as well as outdoor environments. An integrated ROI functionality (Region-of-Interest) enables flexible, application-specific lateral resolution and frame rate, and the new hardware trigger allows easy synchronization with other systems. For advanced image processing, the camera provides raw data as well as new algorithms in order to evaluate and verify the 3D data quality.
    The Omek Beckon Development Suite is a full-featured set of middleware and tools that enables you to add gesture-based interfaces to your applications and devices. Using Omek Beckon with your PMD[vision]® CamCube 3.0 gives you a complete solution for creating interactive experiences that utilize advanced 3D body-tracking and gesture recognition capabilities. The Beckon engine uses the scene data provided by the PMD[vision]® CamCube 3.0 to identify humans in the scene and apply a skeletal framework to their forms. You can map the joints of your user's bodies to specific functions of your software, or use poses or specific movements – gestures – as ways to control your application. The Beckon SDK runs on standard Windows and Linux PCs, and provides APIs for the most common development languages to access the scene intelligence at the shadow, skeleton, or gesture level. The included APIs support C++, C# (including Mono), and Flash, as well as plug-ins for the .NET framework and the Unity and OGRE game engines.
     
    "The bundling of PMDTechnologies' superior depth sensing technology and Omek's most advanced tools for gesture recognition will leverage interactivity on a new level even under hard environmental conditions", says Dr. Bernd Buxbaum, CEO of PMDTechnologies. “We are happy to cooperate with Omek, as this will expand our activities in new and challenging application fields.”  "The PMD[vision]® CamCube has been widely recognized as the depth sensing camera with the highest pixel count and the most advanced sunlight robustness, and will enable gesture-based interfaces in living rooms as well as outside locations", adds Jochen Penne, product manager of the PMD[vision]® CamCube Bundle. “The wide range of industries now deploying gesture-based interfaces into their systems demands integrated solutions,” notes Janine Kutliroff, CEO of Omek. “The combined offering of the CamCube 3.0 and Omek Beckon gives these customers access to broad new possibilities in the development of natural user interfaces that will work successfully across the widest range of operating environments.”
    For information concerning the PMD[vision]® CamCube Bundle, please visit www.PMDTec.com/bundle or send email to sales@PMDTec.com.
     
    You can find the official press release here.

    ]]>     Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:42:00 +0200     Upcoming Events http://www.pmdtec.com/news-press/news/detail/upcoming-events/ PMDTec will participate in the following events & exhibitions in September 2011!
  • IBC 2011
    RAI Amsterdam - The Netherlands
    08 - 13 September 2011
    www.ibc.org
  • IDF 2011
    San Francisco - USA
    13 – 15 September 2011
    www.intel.com/idf/
  • IFA 2011
    Berlin - Germany
    02 – 07 September 2011
    www.ifa-berlin.de
  • IAA 2011
    Frankfurt - Germany
    15 – 25 September 2011
    www.iaa.de

    • If you would like to fix a meeting or just see a live demo, please get in touch with our team using events@PMDTec.com.

    ]]>     Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:18:00 +0200     PMDTec participates in Computex in Taipei http://www.pmdtec.com/news-press/news/detail/pmdtec-participates-in-computex-in-taipei/ Meet us from May 31 - June 4th at the Computex in Taipei. PMDTec will participate in Computex, May 31st – June 4th in Taipei.

    If you would like to fix a meeting or just see a live demo, please get in touch with our team at computex@PMDTec.com.

    ]]>     Fri, 20 May 2011 12:00:00 +0200     Omek and PMDTec announce strategic partnership http://www.pmdtec.com/news-press/news/detail/omek-and-pmdtec-announce-strategic-partnership-1/ Omek and PMDTec announce a strategic partnership to deliver integrated high-end gesture recognition...  

    Omek, a leading provider of tools that add gesture recognition and body tracking capabilities to applications and devices, and PMDTechnologies (PMDTec), a leading 3D CMOS-based digital imaging supplier, today announced the establishment of a strategic partnership to deliver high-end solutions to hardware manufacturers, application developers and system integrators looking to integrate these capabilities into their products. As part of the partnership, the companies will also offer a camera and tools bundle for the academic and scientific communities as well as research and development facilities.

    For the complete official press release, click here.

    ]]>     Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:54:00 +0100     PMDTec participates in ISSCC in San Francisco, CA http://www.pmdtec.com/news-press/news/detail/pmdtec-participates-in-isscc-in-san-francisco-ca/ PMDTec will participate in the ISSCC 2011 in San Francisco, February 20th-24th (www.isscc.org). If... PMDTec will participate in the ISSCC 2011 in San Francisco, February 20th-24th (www.isscc.org). If you would like to fix a meeting or just see a live demo, please get in touch with our team using isscc2011@PMDTec.com.

    ]]>     Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:54:00 +0100