InVisage introduces SparkP2 for IoT devices

InVisage Technologies on Wednesday unveiled SparkP2, world's premier HD near-infrared Internet of Things camera sensor. The QuantumFilm developer disclosed the chip exclusively for Internet of Things (IoT) instruments. This innovation can be used in modern applications like drones, iris scanners and reality systems.

The SparkP2 has the potential to arrest 2-megapixel pictures and consumes less power than the traditional silicon cameras. This new 1.1 um pixel chip provides QuantumFilm shutter that can increase the image clarity at a wavelength of 940 nm, both in strong and poor sunlight. This feature can be used in drones to sense its outdoor environment accurately.

According to Jess Lee, CEO and President at Invisage, the old near-infrared (NIR) cameras in IoT devices were hard to use for indoor purposes and its usage in outdoor operations appeared impossible. The users of traditional NIR cameras had to stay within a small distance for the sensor to work indoors. In addition, the traditional cameras consumed nearly 1000 mW of power that exhausted the battery life within a short period. The requirement of power is greater for outdoor purposes as the instrument needs to overcome the sunlight. Jess Lee added that this new chip will overwhelm the shortcomings of the old model.

Image applications like iris scanners, gesture and eye tracking and depth-mapping benefit highly from SparkP2, according to Brian O'Rourke, an analyst at HIS Technology. He also added that the company must be well placed to benefit from the $10.5 billion imaging market. From April 2016, SparkP2 will be accessible as samples and the production is planned for 2016 summer.

The chip is a basic version of an advanced security camera model that the company started manufacturing in 2015. The SparkP2 can also capture moving images by using merely 1/20th of the traditional model power, VentureBeat said quoting Remi Lacombe, InVisage's VP of marketing and sales.

"This is a low-resolution sensor, and it is a very different market from our first chip. Our solution is smaller and much cheaper. And we can take the power down 20 times," Lacombe added. In 2015 November, the company introduced its first chip model that was labelled Quantum 13. In 2020, the demand for 13-megapixel security cameras is expected to be 995 million units, up from 408 million units in 2015.

According to Cnet, the SparkP2 sensors can aid computer applications to operate under fewer light sources. The company is hoping to beat its rivals in the industry like OmniVision, Sony and Toshiba with its portfolio of new chip modules, which are highly sensitive and smaller in size. Dean Freeman, an analyst at Gartner, said that the NIR cameras are useful in home security devices that help elderly people to live safely and to track any gestures.

InVisage believes its new chip module will boost its presence in the imaging industry. This innovation in the imaging sector is a boon for IoT devices.