Revolutionary research into 3D sensors in robotics
Alumni work together with VUB on new technology
Two VUB alumni have reached a major milestone on their entrepreneurial path. The Vrije Universiteit Brussel, its Department of Electronics and Informatics (ETRO), VUB BruBotics and Brussels-based start-up VoxelSensors are jointly starting the research programme SPECTRE. VoxelSensors was founded by VUB alumni Ward van der Tempel and Johannes Peeters and entrepreneur Andre Miodezky. The aim of SPECTRE is to study 3D sensors in robotics and enable adoption of the technology in this field. The project is supported by Innoviris, the public organisation that funds research and innovation in the Brussels region.
Ward van der Tempel and Johannes Peeters' adventure with the VUB began more than 15 years ago. In 2004, Ward started his PhD on "Current-assisted sensor devices for 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) imaging", which he successfully completed in 2011.
Also in 2004, a research team was formed at ETRO to explore the potential of using CMOS imaging technology to produce 3D sensors. Years later, the team's research proved successful. New ToF technology (called CAPD) was invented and protected with a patent. After which, the first sensors, systems, cameras, and software were produced.
The students involved in this project, including Ward van der Tempel, took advantage of funding from the Brussels Capital Region, intended to support graduates and PhD students in setting up innovative companies. In 2009, for example, the spin-off company Optrima was founded, supported by the VUB's technology transfer office and based on the original intellectual property developed by the team during their research at the VUB. Andre Miodezky was then brought in as CEO.
In parallel with the research project, Johannes Peeters started his education at the VUB and obtained his Master of Science in Civil Engineering in 2010. As part of his curriculum, he took the entrepreneurship course at the VUB. Optrima became his case study in the process. He went on to investigate the market applicability of 3D ToF sensors. He did that research work to his full satisfaction: Johannes Peeters became Optrima's first employee. It was the beginning of a long-term friendship between Ward, Andre, and Johannes.
Establishment of VoxelSensors
The three founded VoxelSensors on 11 March 2020, a day before the first Covid closure. They chose Brussels as their headquarters to take advantage of its central location in Europe, support from the Brussels Capital Region, and proximity to the VUB to set up research projects.
For the next two years, the company deliberately operated under the radar. It used this time to further develop its Switching Pixels technology and make a breakthrough in the industry.
VoxelSensors' ambition is to revolutionise the 3D Perception market. Switching Pixels sensors can be used in a variety of applications: augmented and virtual reality (XR/VR/AR) for professional and consumer applications to blend the physical and virtual worlds; improving autonomous mobility with anti-collision and pathfinding for robotics, autonomous navigation vehicles; and optimising industrial automation enabling factory floors where humans and robots can safely work together
VoxelSensors steps up to the VUB
In 2021, VoxelSensors presented their prototype at the VUB, after which they entered into a first project with ETRO Prof Adrian Munteanu. In 2022, VoxelSensors engaged with the VUB in a research project with Prof. Adrian Munteanu and Prof. Bram Vanderborght. With the support of Innoviris, they will research software algorithms, validate Switching Pixels technology in robotics and create open-source software and application notes to facilitate industrial and academic adoption.
VoxelSensors Switching Pixels® review by Karl Guttag
Switching Pixels® review by Karl Guttag
Karl Guttag, a leading expert in the field of XR technology, reviewed the Switching Pixels® Active Event Sensor technology for XR 3D Perception at CES 2023. He gave it a positive review and deemed it a significant advancement in the field of XR technology.
Watch the video review.
Read Karl Guttag's review.
VoxelSensors at AR | VR | MR SPIE on January 30th, 2023
VoxelSensors at AR | VR | MR SPIE on January 30th, 2023
We are thrilled to announce that Ward van der Tempel, our CTO, will be giving a presentation on our cutting-edge Switching Pixels® 3D Perception technology at the AR | VR | MR SPIE event on January 30th at 3:20 PM – 3:40 PM PST.
VoxelSensors and OQmented collaborate on laser scanning-based 3D perception to blend the physical with digital worlds
Agreement focuses on combining VoxelSensors’ sensor architecture with OQmented’s laser scanning technology for bringing a novel 3D sensing technology to the growing AR/VR market.
Brussels, Belgium, Itzehoe, Germany, December 20, 2022 - VoxelSensors, the inventor of Switching Pixels®, a revolutionary 3D perception technology, and OQmented, the technology leader in MEMS-based AR/VR display and 3D sensing solutions, have entered a strategic partnership. The collaboration focuses on the system integration and commercialization of a high-performance 3D perception system for AR/VR/MR and XR devices. Both companies will demonstrate this system and their technologies during CES 2023 in Las Vegas.
Switching Pixels® resolves major challenges in 3D perception for AR/VR/MR/XR devices. The solution is based on laser beam scanning (LBS) technology to deliver accurate and reliable 3D sensing without compromising on power consumption, data latency or size. VoxelSensors’ key patented technologies ensure optimal operation under any lighting condition and with concurrent systems. Their new sensor architecture provides asynchronous tracking of an active light source or pattern. Instead of acquiring frames, each pixel within the sensor array only generates an event upon detecting active light signals, with a repetition rate of up to 100 MHz.
This system is enabled through OQmented’s unique Lissajous scan pattern: In contrast to raster scanning which works line by line to complete a frame, the Lissajous trajectories scan much faster and are created very power efficiently. They can capture complete scenes and fast movements considerably quicker and require less data processing. That makes this particular technique essential for the low latency and the power efficiency of the combined perception system.
“The partnership with VoxelSensors is a great opportunity to unlock the potential of Lissajous laser beam scanning for 3D perception in lightweight Augmented Reality glasses,” said Ulrich Hofmann, co-CEO/CTO and co-founder of OQmented. “We are proud to deliver the most efficient scanning solution worldwide which enables the amazing products of our partner, bringing us one step closer to our goal of allowing product developers to build powerful but also stylish AR glasses.”
“At VoxelSensors, we wanted to revolutionize the perception industry. For too long, innovation in our space has focused on data processing, while there is so much efficiency to gain when working on the boundaries of photonics and physics. Combined with OQmented technology, we have the ability to transform the industry, enabling strong societal impact in multiple verticals, such as Augmented and Virtual Reality,” explains Johannes Peeters, founder and CEO of VoxelSensors. “Blending the physical and virtual worlds will create astonishing experiences for consumers and productivity gains in the enterprise world.”
This cooperation between two fabless deep tech semiconductor startups demonstrates Europe’s innovation capabilities in the race to produce next-generation technologies for AR/XR/VR and many other applications. These are crucial to Europe’s strategic objective of increasing its market share in semiconductors through key contributions of EU fabless companies as part of the European Chips Act.
About VoxelSensors
VoxelSensors is the creator of a novel category of efficient 3D perception solutions for blending the physical and the digitally augmented and virtual worlds. Its proprietary and patented Switching Pixels technology achieves unprecedentedly low power consumption, latency, and computational complexity. Switching Pixels is a game changer that unlocks the true potential of fully immersive experiences for consumer electronics and enterprise AR / VR / MR wearables and various other industries. For more information, see www.voxelsensors.com
About OQmented
OQmented is a deep tech company developing and selling ultra-compact LBS displays for Augmented Reality devices and best-in-class 3D sensing solutions for mobile and stationary applications. The unique Lissajous scan pattern in combination with the vacuum encapsulation technology and proprietary electronics and software enable new product categories in consumer and various other industries. With extensive MEMS production experience, OQmented effectively designs for high-volume production. Further information can be found at www.oqmented.com For
Press Information contact
Judith Woehl
Public Relations OQmented
Email: media@oqmented.com
Karina Kovalenko
Marketing Manager VoxelSensors
Email: karina.kovalenko@voxelsensors.com
VoxelSensors introduces breakthrough 3D perception technology for XR/AR/MR/VR to blend the physical and digital worlds
VoxelSensors, the leading provider of Active Event Sensor (AES) technology for 3D perception, will announce its Switching Pixels® solution during CES in Las Vegas on January 5-8, 2023.
December 27th, 2022, Brussels, Belgium - VoxelSensors, the leading provider of Active Event Sensor (AES) technology for 3D perception, will announce its Switching Pixels® solution during CES in Las Vegas on January 5-8, 2023. Switching Pixels is a novel category of 3D perception systems designed to resolve the current limitations in XR/AR/MR/VR applications by offering unprecedented milliwatts low-power, nanoseconds low-latency performance, and a simplified data path.
Switching Pixels resolves major challenges in 3D perception to bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds. The technology is particularly useful for XR/AR/MR/VR glasses, which require low-power, low-latency perception systems for tasks such as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), anchoring and interaction using gestures or controllers. VoxelSensors reports impressive performance figures, including the sequential construction of 3D information at a 100Mhz update rate (100 million updates per second, or 10 nanoseconds per update) and with just an energy budget of 6 photons per voxel to integrate accurate and reliable 3D perception.
With its unique architecture, Switching Pixels is the only technology on the market for visual odometry in under 2 milliseconds while remaining insensitive to daylight, crosstalk, or motion in dynamic scenes. While current state-of-the-art systems such as Time-of-Flight, Stereoscopy, and EventBased Vision Systems fail to meet the latency target of less than 10 milliseconds, Switching Pixels delivers useful 3D data points starting at 1/10th of a millisecond.
VoxelSensors’ XR/AR/MR/VR laser beam scanning reference system outperforms current state-ofthe-art smartphone LiDAR scanners, with a power budget below 25mW (over 90% energy saving) and a latency of 2 milliseconds (over 90% reduction).
“As VoxelSensors CEO, I wanted to build technology that could revolutionize 3D perception while delivering a positive societal impact. XR/AR/MR/VR and related applications allow the world to blend the physical and digital worlds. Such applications will elevate human communication to the next level and enable experiences that are today out of reach for many of us,” explains Johannes Peeters, CEO and co-founder of VoxelSensors. “Blending the physical and virtual worlds will create astonishing experiences to consumers and productivity gains in the enterprise world.”
VoxelSensors founding team has a long history of innovation in 3D sensing. They previously developed the CMOS CAPD pixel and successfully spun-out a ToF sensor company from VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel). This technology was later developed by SoftKinetic, a company acquired by Sony in 2015. Based on their extensive experience, the founders of VoxelSensors set out to create a new technology to address the well-known challenges of active 3D perception systems.
About VoxelSensors
VoxelSensors is the creator of a novel category of efficient 3D perception solutions for blending the physical and the digitally augmented and virtual worlds. Its proprietary and patented Switching Pixels technology achieves unprecedentedly low power consumption, latency, and computational complexity. Switching Pixels is a game changer that unlocks the true potential of fully immersive experiences for consumer electronics and enterprise AR / VR / MR wearables and various other industries.
Press Contact:
Karina Kovalenko
Marketing Manager
Email: karina.kovalenko@voxelsensors.com
Technology milestone: Real-time 3D data acquisition
VoxelSensors succeeded to acquire 3D data in real-time from 2 Perseid sensors and laser beam illumination.
This is a world premiere!
Our Switching Pixels® Active Event Sensors unlock low power, low latency 3D perception.
Take a look at our serialized low latency point clouds!
https://youtu.be/6zqB2UPi8io
Download the white paper here.