LG Innotek Partners with MS to Develop Cloud 3D Sensing Camera

[Asia Economy Reporter Su-yeon Woo] LG Innotek is teaming up with global software company Microsoft (hereinafter MS) to target the 3D sensing camera market.

On the 8th, LG Innotek announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with MS to develop and supply ToF (Time-of-Flight) modules for 3D sensing components used in Azure cloud.

The ToF module is a core component of 3D sensing cameras that measures distance by calculating the time it takes for light emitted toward an object to bounce back, enabling recognition of the object's three-dimensionality, spatial information, and movement. When this module is installed in smartphones or wearable devices, it can implement biometric authentication, motion recognition, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) functions.

Through this agreement, LG Innotek will develop ToF modules for MS’s cloud service platform 'Azure' based on its technology in the 3D sensing field. Additionally, MS will supply these modules to various Azure cloud customers such as Walt Disney, AT&T, and SAP. The modules, which will be installed in wearable devices, will serve as data input devices linked with Azure cloud, with mass production targeted for the second half of this year.

MS will support LG Innotek with its 3D sensing technology as well as a collaborative ecosystem (Azure ecosystem) consisting of hardware and software companies, system integrators, and customers necessary for developing new services.

This agreement was reportedly first proposed by MS to LG Innotek to accelerate the expansion of Azure cloud. MS, actively seeking partners to strengthen service models combining 3D cameras and cloud platforms, highly evaluated LG Innotek’s technology and quality, which has led the smartphone camera and 3D sensing module market for years.

LG Innotek and MS also plan to actively cooperate in discovering customers. Both companies expect to rapidly apply cloud services based on 3D sensing cameras in fitness, healthcare, distribution, logistics, and manufacturing sectors.

For example, applying 3D sensing cameras linked with the cloud in the fitness sector enables detailed measurement of exercise movements and motions. In healthcare, it can be used for measuring patient posture and body shape, robotic surgery, and fall detection. In distribution and logistics, it can be utilized for inventory management, theft prevention, and customer movement analysis. In manufacturing, it can help prevent industrial accidents by monitoring worker movements and actions.

Daniel Bar, Head of Business Incubation at Microsoft Silicon and Sensor Group, said, "We expect that cooperation with LG Innotek will accelerate the commercialization of 3D cameras for the Azure cloud platform," adding, "This collaboration will make it easier to develop various applications using 3D cameras."

Eun Jong-yoon, Head of Optical Solution Product Planning at LG Innotek, responded, "This agreement will be a great opportunity to broadly expand the application fields of 3D sensing modules by leveraging our global top-tier business capabilities in smartphone 3D sensing modules."