Providing situational awareness capabilities for various types of smart devices
90° field of view… Personal information protection, multi-zone distance measurement, object detection

STMicroelectronics (ST) has unveiled an optical sensor that provides vivid situational awareness in smart equipment applications such as home automation, appliances, computers, robots, and stores and factories.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STI) today announced the launch of its new FlightSense™ multi-zone distance sensor, which is 33% wider than the previous generation and has a 90° field of view.

ToF sensors like ST's new VL53L7CX, which was recently released, have the advantage of fully protecting users' privacy because they do not capture images, unlike conventional camera sensors used for the above purposes.

The VL53L7CX offers enhanced peripheral detection capabilities that are nearly camera-like, with a field of view of up to 90°.

This improves human presence detection and system activation performance in applications such as activating a screen or waking up a device such as an oven or coffee machine.

FlightSense Multi-Zone sensors offer powerful capabilities such as 3D scene mapping and simultaneous measurement of multiple object distances in multiple zones.

These multi-zone features and motion indicators enable human presence detection and tracking, and over-shoulder warning. It can be used in applications such as warning, occupancy detection, storage and parking management, etc.

The sensor is also suitable for applications such as smart waste management, which tracks full and empty bins, and could also improve robots' bottom detection, cliff prediction, obstacle avoidance, and small object detection capabilities.

Additionally, the STGesture™ software pack enhances the hand tracking function that recognizes gestures, and can also be used for applications such as keystone correction for projectors.

“ST’s FlightSense technology embedded in our Time-of-Flight multi-zone sensors provides a detailed view of the scene while reducing system power and processing requirements,” said Alexandre Balmefrezol, Executive Vice President, STMicroelectronics. “With our new sensor with an extended field of view, customers get even more flexibility while maintaining accuracy, resolution, and simplicity.”