[Editor's Note] ToF (Time-of-Flight) sensors are widely used for distance measurement of IoT devices, human presence, and human gesture recognition. ToF sensors are similar to Lidar but are inexpensive and are widely used in the consumer electronics market. Their use is expected to increase in various fields such as autonomous robots, self-service payment terminals, smartphones, drones, and AR/VR. Meanwhile, STMicroelectronics (hereinafter referred to as ST) will hold a webinar on October 8th to introduce the ST multi-zone distance measurement sensor and user detection usage method. Through an interview with ST Vice President Nam Kyung-tae, who will be presenting, we learned in advance about the functions of the VL53L7CX sensor, which will be the main topic of the webinar, and the potential for product innovation.



■ Please introduce SPD (Smart Presence Detection) using ToF (Time-of-Flight) sensor and explain why this product is attracting attention.

ToF sensors provide a method for obtaining distance values to objects in three-dimensional space. The basic concept is that light is emitted from a transmitter, and the light reflected from an object is received by a receiver.

Through this, the time difference of light during transmission and reception is calculated, and the distance value to the object is calculated using the speed of light and the time difference.

Additionally, the user's presence is confirmed through the SPD algorithm.

■ What solutions are introduced?

We will introduce a ToF with multi-zone performance and a software package that applies SPD to it.

The purpose of SPD is to detect the presence of a user by distinguishing between influences from the surrounding environment.

It also indicates the presence of the user by distinguishing whether the user is leaving or staying in front of the sensor.

And instead of scanning while the power is on, the sensor's autonomous mode allows the host MCU to switch to power-saving mode, saving power.

Additionally, when a user approaches, we can also know the user's approximate location information.

Also, since it is not a camera sensor, it does not record video or save images.

Therefore, there is no room for privacy invasion.

■ Main application applications are

The VL53L7CX can be applied to gesture recognition and human presence detection functions, so in addition to self-service payment terminals, it can be applied to wake-up functions in equipment used by multiple people, such as consumer products and home appliances, to implement safe, touch-free operation while significantly reducing power consumption.

A new and innovative motion indicator detects whether an object is moving.

It is useful for applications that require user detection in kiosks, monitors, etc., and want to save energy.

■ Key requirements of the market/industry

The initial market was deployed as a single-zone, simple distance sensing function.

Recently, there has been an increasing demand to identify the position/movement of objects in a more complex X/Y/Z three-dimensional space. In response, ST has released a product (VL53L7CX) that can provide distance values in 64 areas by dividing the resolution of the X/Y space into 8x8 areas.

■ The main benefits are

ST ToF products have a diverse lineup of ToF products that provide distance measurement capabilities from single zone (1D) to multi-zone (up to 64 zones) and up to 800 cm.

St.com provides hands-on access to circuit diagrams, drivers, and various application examples.

■ What are the differences compared to competitors’ products (or existing products)?

The VL53L7CX offers a 90' diagonal field of view, providing a wider viewing area.

■ A word to e4ds readers

I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to introduce ST ToF, VL53L7CX and SPD through this webinar.

Additionally, information and features on various ST ToF products can be found on the st.com website. We hope that ST ToF products and solutions will help you develop and implement your future projects.

thank you