JDI releases ultra-thin sensor for pulse measurement

New sensor

[JDI releases ultra-thin sensor for pulse measurement, which may be used in wearable devices in the future]

Recently, JDI (Japan Display) has developed a thin sensor for measuring pulse, which has a reading speed of 19.5 frames per second, 4.4 times that of previous products.

This sensor can not only accurately identify vital signs, but also perform fingerprint and vein biometric technology at the same time. It is estimated that it will be used in terminals such as wearable devices, which will help prevent impersonation and confusion of patients.

This sensor is reflective, that is, an LED is installed next to the sensor, so it can be made thinner and suitable for wearable devices. And TFT is formed on polyimide resin, and then an organic light detector is installed on the TFT. Since the glass substrate is removed, it can be used in a curved shape.

JDI hopes to achieve mass production in 3 years.

【New soft tactile sensor with skin-comparable properties】

Dr. Yajing Shen, Associate Professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at City University of Hong Kong, and Dr. Jia Pan, a partner at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), have developed a novel soft tactile sensor.

The sensor adopts a multi-layer structure similar to human skin and includes a soft and specially magnetized film with a top layer thickness of about 0.5 mm. When an external force is applied to it, it can detect the change in magnetic field due to the deformation of the film.

More importantly, it can automatically "decouple" or decompose the external force into two components - normal force (force applied perpendicular to the object) and shear force, providing accurate measurements of these two forces respectively.

The sensor can be easily expanded into the form of sensor arrays, or even continuous electronic skin covering the entire body of a robot in the future. The sensitivity and measurement range of the sensor can be adjusted by changing the magnetization direction of the top layer (magnetic film) of the sensor without changing the thickness of the sensor. This allows the electronic skin to have different sensitivities and measurement ranges in different parts, just like human skin.

Moreover, compared with other tactile sensors, the manufacturing and calibration process of this sensor is much shorter, making it convenient for practical applications.

Sensor Finance

[TCL invests 1 billion to build a semiconductor company, focusing on chips and power devices]

Last night, TCL Technology issued an announcement that TCL Technology Group plans to jointly establish TCL Semiconductor Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. (proposed name, subject to industrial and commercial approval registration, hereinafter referred to as "TCL Semiconductor") with TCL Industry.

TCL Semiconductor's proposed registered capital is RMB 1 billion, and the two companies will each invest RMB 500 million, each accounting for 50%. TCL Semiconductor will serve as the company's semiconductor business platform and invest in industrial development opportunities in the fields of integrated circuit chip design, semiconductor power devices, etc.

In the field of integrated circuit chip design, referring to the Fabless model in the industry, TCL Semiconductor will focus on the development of chip categories with large demand in upstream and downstream related industries, such as driver chips and AI voice chips, and promote the production of dedicated chip products by attracting external professional talents and improving team capabilities. In the field of semiconductor power devices, TCL Semiconductor plans to further expand production capacity, improve the core technical capabilities of device business, and take the lead in breaking through the market.

[Pioneer sells map information subsidiary IncrementP to Polaris Capital for 30 billion yen]

Japan's Pioneer has decided to sell its map information subsidiary IncrementP to Polaris Capital Group. The estimated sale amount is about 30 billion yen.

Pioneer will secure investment funds for commercial vehicle operation management services and accelerate business reconstruction. Pioneer fell into an operating crisis due to the failure of its plasma TV investment and the shrinking market for in-vehicle equipment. In 2019, it was acquired by Baring Private Equity Asia and its shares were privatized, and business reconstruction is being promoted.

Sensor Dynamics

[The first automotive-grade solid-state laser radar production line in China was completed]

On March 10, the first automotive-grade solid-state laser radar production line in China was completed, and RoboSense (RoboSense) M1 will start mass production and delivery of fixed-point projects in the second quarter. Officials said that M1 has continuously received fixed-point cooperation orders for multiple mass-produced models around the world since July last year.

【Lynred and NIT cooperate to develop a new generation of short-wave infrared sensors】

Two French sensor companies, Lynred and New Imaging Technologies (hereinafter referred to as: NIT), announced that they will cooperate to develop a new generation of short-wave infrared (SWIR) sensors.

Lynred plans to invest 2.8 million euros in the research and development of small pixel pitch infrared detectors. The short-wave infrared sensor to be developed is a high-sensitivity, high-frame-rate sensor that can meet the accuracy and output requirements of industrial process control scenarios.

NIT is working with the French National Research Institute established at the Sorbonne University in France to produce short-wave infrared sensors by depositing quantum dot material mercury telluride (HgTe) on the readout circuit (ROIC). The Institute of Nanoscience at the Sorbonne University is developing and producing quantum dot materials sensitive to HgTe with wavelengths ranging from short-wave infrared to mid-wave infrared. Preliminary tests of quantum cascade detectors (QCD) deposited on NIT's ROIC have achieved remarkable results.

The research can achieve low-cost and small pixel pitch focal plane arrays, which can expand the spectral range of short-wave infrared cameras to 2.5µm.