Etron Technology through subsidiary eYs3D Microelectronics, which develops 3D sensing solutions for AI-on-edge applications, has attracted orders for unmanned stores and smart healthcare applications, according to company chairman Nicky Lu.
Lu noted that economic recovery in 2022 is U-shaped, estimating that the bottom of the U will flatten in the fourth quarter in Taiwan and gradually improve in the first half of 2023. Under heavy global economic pressure, Lu believes that now is the time to develop new technologies and new R&D.
Etron uses its own IC design with TSMC's semiconductor wafer production to carry out AI and metaverse development for use in microsystems and other applications, Lu said. The Taiwanese semiconductor industry will continue on this development path for the next five years, with future high-tech applications becoming more diversified, Lu added. Etron's newly developed IC products are equipped with 3D sensing technology and are being used in Canon's unmanned store system.
Demand for contactless solutions has soared in recent years, which has led to the rapid development of smart retail. Embedded 3D stereoscopic computer vision is a key technology changing how humans interact with objects.
The majority of unmanned stores in Japan currently use 3D sensing to detect product movement or shift, which can be further integrated with product checkout, inventory management, logistics distribution, and consumption and behavior management, explained eYs3D.
eYs3D's newly developed 3D sensing module can provide wide-angle range and gesture control functionality. It is equipped with eYs3D's self-developed vision chip and has a viewing angle of up to 100 degrees, giving it a 3D detection distance of 20cm to 2 meters. The module is suitable for indoor and outdoor applications and does not require an additional light source.
3D stereoscopic imaging is also a key technology in smart medical technology. Etron and eYs3D's 3D stereoscopic vision technology is currently being used in minimally invasive endoscopy systems and is also being used in products by Taiwanese medical brands.
According to eYs3D, its color processing chip is being used in the front-end disposable image module of endoscopes. Combined with AI computing and image refinement processing, it can significantly improve image recognition and provide 4K ultra-high resolution 3D computer vision information.
eYs3D further explained that vision chips provide clearer images for medical treatment, which allows medical personnel to see better and reduces damage to nerves and muscle tissue. It also helps reduce wound size, bleeding, and hospitalization days.
