Infineon, pmdtechnologies Develop 3D Depth-Sensing Technology for Magic Leap 2

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Augmented reality (AR) applications are about to fundamentally change the way we live and work. Later this year, AR pioneer Magic Leap is expected to introduce its newest AR device, the Magic Leap 2. Designed specifically for enterprise use, Magic Leap 2 will be among the most immersive enterprise AR headsets in the market. With industry-leading optics and powerful computing in an ergonomic design, Magic Leap 2 will enable operators to work more efficiently, help companies optimize complex processes, and allow staff to seamlessly collaborate. One of the key features of Magic Leap 2 is the 3D indirect-Time-of-Flight (iToF) depth sensing technology that was co-developed by Infineon Technologies AG and pmdtechnologies ag (pmd).

Magic Leap 2 demonstrates the potential of the REAL3™ 3D Image Sensor. The new and improved IRS2877C Time-of-Flight imager captures the physical environment around the user and helps the device to understand and finally interact with it. Thanks to the 3D imager’s VGA resolution, many different objects can be detected in detail.

The Time-of-Flight technology developed by Infineon and pmd creates an accurate 3D mapping of the environment as well as 3D image of faces, hand details, or objects in real-time. This advancement helps to enable accurate environmental interaction with the Magic Leap 2. In addition, the sensor enables enhanced gesture controls on Magic Leap 2. Infineon and pmd optimized the 3D sensor to bring the power consumption down to a minimum, reducing heat and increasing battery life of Magic Leap 2.

“Sensing the environment precisely and in real-time is key for augmented reality applications,” says Magic Leap CTO, Julie Green. “Magic Leap 2 will provide an even more immersive user experience. These superior functionalities will help to connect the physical and digital world even more seamlessly.”

“We have introduced our 3D imager technology in a professional environment, where precision and reliability are life-saving features,” says Andreas Urschitz, Division President Power & Sensor Systems and designated CMO at Infineon.

“The latest 3D time-of-flight technology is going to enable new augmented and mixed reality applications for healthcare and industry. It’s about to change the way we live and work fundamentally.”

“Our technology helps Magic Leap 2 to detect precisely to the millimeter the location of objects in a physical environment. Virtual objects can be placed in the real world, and stay in place when the user walks around a room and would be obscured, as other real objects appear in front of them,” says Bernd Buxbaum, CEO of pmd. “It also works reliably in bright sunlight or complete darkness, where other depth-sensing solutions quickly reach their limits.”

More and more AR will be applied in industrial and medical environments that make use of these technological advancements. For example Brainlab, a Munich based digital medical technology company, combines their patient-specific, AI-driven anatomical segmentation visualization software with spatial computing from Magic Leap, to provide surgeons an increased understanding of the patient’s anatomy.