Newsight Imaging NSI9000, an Innovative Advanced Depth Sensor Chip with Built-in eTOF™ Technology, Ideal for Depth Sensing and LiDAR Applications

Newsight Imaging Ltd. (“Newsight”), a leading semiconductor innovator developing proprietary 3D machine vision sensors, spectral vision chips, and systems, announced the first shipments of an initial batch of the NSI9000 one-chip (non-stacked) CMOS image sensor solution for depth imaging to select customers.

The new chip is equipped with 491,520 depth 5×5-micron pixels (1024×480) (almost 5X more than its closest competitor), a global shutter (with up to 132 fps on full resolution), and a depth accuracy of less than 1% of the distance. The sensor is designed for an optimal distance of 0-200 meters. The new chip offers new capabilities at a competitive price to the rapidly growing markets for Lidar systems, automotive ADAS, Metaverse AR/VR applications, Industry 4.0, and Smart City/IoT, including smart traffic 3D vision systems.

Newsight is simultaneously offering its eTOF LiDAR III, the third generation of its reference design Lidar which can be acquired for clients seeking validation of a prototype or a Proof-Of-Concept (POC). The Company offers its premium customers the option to license the proprietary eTOF™ technology and to obtain code examples, applications, schematics, and design parts allowing for rapid development of customer solutions based on Newsight chips and technology.

Newsight NSI9000 innovative advanced depth sensor chip

Newsight NSI9000RDC III and eTOF LiDAR III

The sensor is a result of five years of collaborative innovation by Newsight and its partners including Fraunhofer and Tower-Jazz. The product offers distinctive features, including:

• Newsight’s patented enhanced Time-Of-Flight (eTOF) technology is well demonstrated on its NSI1000 sensor chip. This technology enables maximal flexibility using multi-sets of configurations, in-pixel accumulation, and a novel depth calculating process that does not require heavy calculations and expensive MCU.

• Event aware unique circuit, which was developed as part of the Israeli smart imaging consortium (https://www.smartimagingiia.com/). The solution enables event-driven imaging, while a unique circuit attached to each pixel makes it possible to broadcast only lines with pixels that were changed from a previous frame. This feature is specifically designed for Smart City-enabled cameras and smart traffic solutions.
  

• Multi-triangulation: a unique solution for industry 4.0 applications and measurement devices of 480 ultra-accurate depth points, down to micron accuracy for close 3D inspection of production rail objects.

• Built-in fusion, allowing the sensor to extract a full resolution B/W image together with a depth image from the same frame data, making image and depth fusion for simplified use by systems developers.

• Chip design using a standard CMOS image sensor process, with only two system power source requirements (1.8V, 3.3V), making it a low-power, easy-to-integrate, and affordable solution for mass markets.

“The innovative new NSI9000 is an affordable CMOS image sensor providing advanced features for depth sensing and LiDAR applications,” said Eli Assoolin, Newsight Imaging CEO. “We have now begun shipments of chips to select customers with high-end requirements for their target applications, adding to our pipeline of dozens of companies who tested our NSI1000 and who have been awaiting the NSI9000.

“With built-in eTOF™ technology, event detection capabilities, and a host of new features, we expect to attract customers across a wide range of industries and multiple applications in automotive Lidars, Metaverse AR Glasses, Smart Cities, and other 3D applications. Of special interest is the chip’s ‘Window of Interest’ that enables any rectangular resolution. As well, we believe that such advanced solutions can be offered at affordable prices for building high volume best ROI depth imaging products. We would like to thank our partners and our talented team for their achievement in bringing the NSI9000 to market and helping to build long-term value for our shareholders.”