Achieves even more powerful measurement distance and speed in the industry's smallest size
It can be expandedly applied not only to robotic home appliances but also to drones, IoT devices, etc.

STMicroelectronics (ST) has further strengthened its leadership in Time-of-Flight (ToF) distance sensors by launching the new VL53L0X distance sensor, which features second-generation FlightSense™ technology.

The measurement range of the VL53L0X has been extended to 2 meters, and the accuracy reaches ±3%. In addition, the distance measurement speed has been further increased to less than 30ms, and power efficiency has been significantly improved, with power consumption at 20mW in active measurement mode and 5µA in standby mode. With dimensions of 2.4 x 4.4 x 1mm, it is the smallest product currently on the market.
Unlike conventional infrared proximity sensors, the VL53L0X enables millimeter-level accurate distance measurement and is unaffected by the color or reflectivity of the sensed target. Furthermore, utilizing high-speed FlightSense technology—well-known for the laser-based camera autofocus features in popular smartphones—it can distinguish movements of moving away from, approaching, or moving left and right to the sensor. Since the distance is calculated internally and communication is performed via I2C, the burden on the system host controller can be minimized.



It emits invisible light with a 940nm waveform using an eye-safe built-in laser, which eliminates the scattered red flash typical of other infrared proximity sensors and reduces interference caused by external lighting. The sensor's digital architecture and automatic light compensation features can further enhance performance even in high ambient light conditions.

The sensing of the VL53L0X can support various functions, such as new UI gesture sensing or proximity detection used for wall/step/collision detection in robotic appliances. These robotic appliances include not only vacuum cleaners but also hands-free appliances and bathroom fixtures such as faucets, soap dispensers, hand dryers, and flush toilets. Other applications include user presence detection for controlling the power on/off of laptops or monitors, drones, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices.

To support easy and fast integration of the VL53L0X, all documentation and example source code, including the software API (Application Programming Interface), are provided.

The performance of the VL53L0X can be easily evaluated using the X-NUCLEO-53L0A1 expansion board, which connects to the STM32 Nucleo microcontroller family. The VL53L0X is a 12-pad reflow-compatible module currently in mass production, priced at $2.30 per 1,000 units. The minimum order quantity for mass production is 5,000 units.