LG Innotek Co. Inks Microsoft Corp. For 3D Sensing Cameras
LG Innotek Co. announced on Monday that it has linked with Microsoft Corp. to improve its presence in the 3D sensing component market.
The significant electronics parts maker in South Korea revealed that both companies would work together on the development and supply of Time of Flight (ToF) units dedicated to Microsoft's cloud platform Azure.
According to reports, ToF is a core 3D sensing camera component that can recognize three-dimensionality; it has information and movement of an object using the distance calculated based on the return time of the light shot toward and bounced off of a target object.
ToF module-equipped smartphones or wearable devices can support advanced functions such as biometric verification, motion sensing, artificial reality, and virtual reality.
Through Microsoft, the world's second-largest cloud service provider, LG Innotek's ToF module will be supplied to various Azure users.
LG Innotek plans to mass-produce the Azure-dedicated ToF module in the second half of the year.
Microsoft will support the Azure ecosystem for the development of the Azure-connected ToF module and its related services.
The US tech titan has been searching for partners to boost its services combining the Azure platform and 3D cameras. It reportedly approached LG Innotek first for the partnership.
The two companies also agreed to launch promotions to secure new customers in health care, retail, manufacturing, etc.
Azure-supported 3D cameras can be used in measuring movements and checking the motion of people when they exercise. In the retail area, they can help manage inventories or prevent theft, LG Innotek said.
"This MOU will be a good opportunity to expand application areas for our 3D-sensing modules beyond smartphones, as we will utilize our global No. 1 business capability in the smartphone market," said Eun Jong-yun, LG Innotek head of the optics solution product planning division.
The global 3D sensing camera market created revenue of $5.2 billion in 2018, and it is projected to increase to $24.1 billion by 2024, said to market researcher Industry ARC.
