OmniVision launches new sensor for infrared facial recognition

OmniVision Technologies has announced the launch of the 1/9”, 1.4-micron OV9738, a RGB-Ir sensor built with the company’s PureCel Plus technology.

The OV9738 supports colour and IR imaging applications, and can deliver IR-based facial recognition, and gesture interfaces to a broad range of devices, including laptops and mobile devices, at a lower overall system cost, according to the announcement.

“Notebook and mobile consumers are demanding facial recognition and other types of advanced biometric authentication to replace traditional login methods,” said Arun Jayaseelan, senior marketing manager, OmniVision Technologies. “Biometric authentication applications that used a two-sensor solution, such as Windows Hello, were affordable only in high-end notebooks because they required a second, dedicated IR camera. With the OV9738, OmniVision is providing a single-sensor solution for such applications for the mainstream notebook market.”

The tiny sensor provides 720p resolution at 30 frames per second, and the company’s RGB-Ir technology improves quantum efficiency in near-IR light, potentially reducing LED power consumption, and its PureCel technology provides high-quality color reproduction.

Article Topics

authentication  |  biometric sensors  |  facial recognition  |  infrared