Laser scanner delivers ‘better precision than the human eye’
19 December 2024 
Image: BusinessWire
A Californian firm, SiLC Technologies, has announced a laser line scanner capable of dimensioning objects with sub-millimetre accuracy from distances of up to 10m. Aimed at industrial automation applications, SiLC’s Eyeonic Trace is an all-in-one inspection and measurement tool for objects moving on conveyor belts, assembly lines or bucket elevators, or being scanned by robotic arms.
SiLC specialises in integrated single-chip FMCW (frequency-modulated continuous wave) LiDar technologies. The Eyeonic Trace is its first turnkey product. Until now, it has supplied components to customers to integrate into their own products. This expansion of SiLC’s business model will allow it to reach a broader range of customers.
The scanner “provides better depth precision than the human eye,” says SiLC CEO, Dr Mehdi Asghari. “Not only does our Eyeonic Trace measure objects with great precision, but the laser is also Class 1 eye-safe, which means that factory workers can use it without the constraints of a ‘Keep Out’ area or a ‘Special Eye Protection Required’ mandate.”
At the heart of the new scanner is SiLC’s Eyeonic vision sensor with an integrated silicon photonics chip containing low-loss waveguides, coherent detection, semiconductor optical amplifiers and other photonic functions.
The scanner has a wide 72-degree field-of-view, allowing it to measure large objects. It is designed to be mounted 2-3m above a conveyor belt or assembly line, or on a robot arm. It can measure large boxes as well as items a few centimetres tall.
The scanner can provide millimetre precision at distances from 10cm to 10m. It operates over a wide dynamic range, accommodating objects with diverse reflective properties. The scanner works reliably indoors or outdoors, and is unaffected by ambient light. It measures 200 x 135 x 75mm.
“FMCW LiDar offers more resolution, which is a huge advantage in automation,” says Harvey Weinberg, director of sensor technologies at Microtech Ventures, which specialises in M&A, investments, and business development for sensors, MEMS, and microtechnology companies. “Scanning packages passing at a high speed on a conveyor belt, requires a scanner with quick response time, millimetre accuracy, a wide field-of-view, and a long operating range. The Eyeonic Trace is the industry’s first scanner to meet this challenge.”
Samples of the Eyeonic Trace will be available in the second quarter of 2025, with production scheduled for the second half of the year.
SiLC Technologies: LinkedIn
