CHIRP IN THE NEWS
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MEMS ULTRASONIC ToF SENSOR EXTENDS RANGE
Chirp Microsystems’ CH-201 MEMS sonar-on-chip time-of-flight (ToF) sensor offers a sensing range of up to 5 meters for room-scale applications. Expanding the SmartSonic MEMS ultrasonic platform, the CH-201 and its associated software address a broad range of use-case scenarios, including range finding, presence/proximity sensing, object detection/avoidance, and 3-D position tracking.
SEE FULL PRES RELEASE TDK ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF NEW MEMS-BASED "SONAR ON A SILICON CHIP" ULTRASONIC TIME-OF-FLIGHT SENSOR WITH EXTENDED SENSING RANGE
“The CH-201 sensor is the continuation of our pioneering work in the development of piezoelectric-MEMS technology and low-power ASIC design, enabling high-performance, low-power ultrasonic sensing in a tiny package,” said Michelle Kiang, CEO, Chirp Microsystems, a TDK Group Company. “With CH-201 sensor’s extended sensing range, product designers have a new ToF sensor option available to enable new capabilities and create unique user experiences in a broad range of consumer products. Both the CH-101 and CH-201 sensors are being used by leading consumer brands in robotic vacuum cleaners, (smart) speakers, PCs, and many more products.
SEE FULL PRES RELEASE TDK NAMED 2019 BEST OF SENSORS AWARD WINNER IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762) has been named a 2019 “Best of Sensors” Award winner. In addition to being named “Company of the Year,” Chirp SonicTrack, a hardware/software solution that provides six-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) controller tracking for all-in-one (AIO) virtual reality (VR) systems was recognized as the “Most Innovative Technology of the Year,” which highlights cutting-edge advancements and achievements that are moving the sensors industry forward. The prestigious awards were presented by the Sensors Expo Event Director during Sensors Expo & Conference 2019 (#Sensors19), held this week in San Jose, California.
SEE FULL PRES RELEASE TDK ANNOUNCES WORLDWIDE AVAILABILITY OF MEMS-BASED "SONAR ON A SILICON CHIP" ULTRASONIC TIME OF FLIGHT SENSORS
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TDK Corporation (TSE:6762) announces the immediate worldwide availability of the Chirp CH-101 MEMS-based ultrasonic Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor. This ToF sensor utilizes a tiny ultrasonic transducer chip to send out a pulse of ultrasound and then listen for echoes returning from targets in the sensor’s field-of-view. By calculating the ToF, the sensor can determine the location of an object relative to a device and trigger a programmed behavior.
SEE FULL PRES RELEASE TDK TO SHOWCASE SOLUTIONS FOR AUTOMOTIVE, IoT, AR/VR, AND CONSUMER ELECTRONICS AT SENSORS EXPO & CONFERENCE 2019
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762) will present the industry’s single source of innovative sensor solutions marketed under brands TDK, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Chirp, and Tronics in Booth #416 at Sensors Expo and Conference 2019, McEnery Convention Center, June 26-27, San Jose, Calif. TDK will also present at the Sensors Expo Pre-Symposium on June 25. TDK’s portfolio meets the growing and diverse demand for sensor technologies in the automotive, industrial equipment, consumer electronics industries and beyond.
SEE FULL PRES RELEASE CHIRP NAMED FINALIST FOR BEST OF SENSORS INNOVATION AWARD
Sensors Expo & Conference (#Sensors19), the nation's leading event focused exclusively on sensors and sensor-integrated systems announced today the finalists of the 2019 Best of Sensors Awards. The Innovation award seeks to recognize advances in sensor and sensor-related technologies, either in the form of novel technologies or significant improvements to existing technologies. For more information, visit www.sensorsexpo.com/awards.
SEE FULL LIST OF FINALISTS CHIRP CEO TO SPEAK ON HTC VIVE WAVE PARTNER'S PANEL AT VEC 2019
The Vive Ecosystem Conference (that in Chinese is called “HTC VIVE 新生态大会暨新品发布 “) will be held on March, 26th 2019 in Shenzhen, China. The event will start at 8.30 local time and will end at 18.30. It will feature a mix of keynote sessions and speeches interleaved with free time where the public will be able to go to the demo booths and try some cool VR games.
SEE FULL AGENDA TDK CHIRP SonicTrack POWER 6-DoF IN THE BEST VR SYSTEMS
Ultrasonic fingerprint readers have made their mass-market debut, but there are other uses for ultrasonic technology in today’s gadgets. For example, TDK subsidiary Chirp Microsystems is powering a number of Virtual Reality (VR) systems, including the HTC Vive Focus and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile VR. The SonicTrack chip’s role is to provide the data that make it possible to position the VR controllers relative to the headset, from the inside out.
READ FULL ARTICLE CHIRP'S CH-101 & CH-201 NAMED TO EDN HOT 100 PRODUCTS OF 2018 : SENSORS
EDN's Hot 100 Products of 2018 features microphones, accelerometers, image sensors, LiDAR systems, and more...
The CH-101 and CH-201 are the first commercially available MEMS-based ultrasonic ToF sensors. One main function of both of these first two devices is having both the transmitter and the receiver in a single device. SEE FULL LIST HERE OR SEE 2017 EDN ARTICLE ON CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS HERE MOVE OVER OCULUS...
EE Times Asia documents some of the highlights from Mobile World Congress 2019.
"Oculus’s rival, HTC, demonstrated a headset called Vive Focus, an all-in-one system that requires no external gaming PC to run VR. It has six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DoF) controllers. Its underlying technology, ultrasound, and IMU sensor fusion developed by Chirp Microsystems (TDK) makes 6-DoF controllers possible." FULL ARTICLE HERE HTC VIVE FOCUS PLUS IS A NEW STANDALONE HEADSET WITH 6DOF CONTROLS AND IMPROVED COMFORT
Announced today ahead of next week’s Mobile World Congress, Vive Focus Plus is the next entry in HTC’s enterprise-level standalone headset series. It’s got everything you need to jump straight into VR, just like the original Vive Focus. You don’t need a phone, PC or even external sensors thanks to inside-out six degrees of freedom (6DOF) tracking. The biggest additions here, though, are the new 6DOF controllers. "The underlying technology — ultrasound and IMU sensor fusion developed by Chirp Microsystems, a TDK company, is what makes the new 6-DoF controllers possible."
FULL ARTICLE HERE CHIRP CEO & CO-FOUNDER MICHELLE KIANG TO SPEAK AT MEMS WORLD SUMMIT IN SHANGHAI
MEMS World Summit is the world’s foremost annual meeting and business platform for engaging with political, business, financial, research and industry leaders of the MEMS manufacturing industry. Michelle Kiang is the CEO and co-founder of Chirp Microsystems, Inc., a company commercializing an ultra-low power, ultrasonic 3D sensing technology that will revolutionize human machine interfaces for IoT devices. Chirp was acquired in February 2018 by TDK as a wholly own subsidiary and a new business unit under their MEMS Sensor Business Group.
FULL PROGRAMME HERE CHIRP CEO & CO-FOUNDER MICHELLE KIANG TO GIVE KEYNOTE AT UC BERKELEY
A. RICHARD NEWTON DISTINGUISHED INNOVATOR LECTURE SERIES A. Richard Newton Distinguished Innovator Lecture SeriesThis lecture series recognizes the entrepreneurial vision of A. Richard Newton, Dean of UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering from 2000 to 2007, by inviting distinguished innovators to share lessons from their own successes and failures. Hosted by the Pantas and Ting Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology, the lectures take place at UC Berkeley on Tuesday evenings, 6:30pm - 8pm in Li Ka Shing Auditorium and Dr, Kiang will be speaking on February 19th, 2019. Syllabus and course information available on bcourses. CLICK HERE to see the past speakers from previous semesters.
SEE FULL SYLLABUS CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS & QUALCOMM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. COLLABORATE TO BRING INSIDE-OUT 6-DoF CONTROLLER TRACKING TO MOBILE VR/AR HEADSETS
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762) announced it is working with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. through its group company, Chirp Microsystems, to make inside-out six degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) controller tracking available to mobile VR/AR head-mounted displays (HMDs) powered by Snapdragon Mobile XR Platforms. For Chirp, today’s announcement further validates Chirp’s ultrasonic tracking technology as the optimal solution for mobile VR/AR systems, offering high-precision, low latency tracking with low power consumption and near-zero computation cost.
READ FULL PRESS RELEASE CHIRP CO-FOUNDER RICHARD PRZYBYLA TO RECEIVE OREGON STATER AWARD
The Oregon Stater Awards honor alumni and industry partners whose contributions exemplify Oregon State’s leadership over the past 150 years. In 1998, the College of Engineering introduced the annual Oregon Stater awards to honor outstanding alumni and friends for their contributions to the engineering profession and to Oregon State University. Induction into the Council of Outstanding Early Career Engineers is reserved for those who have distinguished themselves through their professional accomplishments, service to OSU, engineering, or society at large. These individuals have made early career contributions that identify them as future leaders in their profession or field.
EVENT INFO AND FULL LIST OF HONOREES HTC COLLABORATION WITH CHIRP TAKES VR SEGMENT CENTER STAGE AT CES
At CES, the company that took center stage in the VR segment wasn’t Oculus but its rival, HTC. HTC rolled out high-end Vive Pro Eye and talked about its upcoming Vive Cosmos, promising its highest-resolution screens yet. HTC also launched a headset called Vive Focus, an all-in-one system that requires no external gaming PC to run VR. Most notable about Vive Focus is its newly announced six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DoF) controllers. HTC recently rolled out developer kits for this device. Its underlying technology — ultrasound and IMU sensor fusion developed by Chirp Microsystems, a TDK company — is what makes the new 6-DoF controllers possible.
READ FULL ARTICLE HANDS-ON: VIVE FOCUS 6DOF CONTROLLERS 'CHIRP' & 'FINCHSHIFT' TESTED BACK TO BACK
Vive Wave is HTC’s open platform that offers interoperability between several classes of mobile VR headsets and accessories, something the company hopes will help unite a fragmented market. Although with greater choice in VR accessories comes the task of understanding the key differences between them. Enter FinchShift and Chirp, two different solutions to the same problem: bringing 6DOF controllers to Vive Focus.
READ FULL ARTICLE INSIDE OUT - IT'S ALL IN THE POSITIONING...
LAS VEGAS--(ELECTRONIC DESIGN)--One application that TDK is working on delivers inside-out positioning information about the 3D hand controllers for AR/VR applications; in particular, HTC’s Vive Focus HMD (Fig. 3). Three Chirp sensors are mounted on each controller and additional sensors are on the HMD. These are used cooperatively to provide accurate relative positioning information via triangulation. Thus, the controllers can be used without initial calibration and setup.
READ FULL PRESS RELEASE TDK AND HTC ADD ULTRASONICS TO VR
LAS VEGAS--(ELECTRONIC DESIGN)--HTC and TDK worked together to bring Chirp to the 3D positioning of the wireless, handheld controllers with respect to the Vive Focus head-mounted display (HMD). The omnidirectional CH-101 allows the system to track movement over a wide range of positions. The HMD sports a set of sensors along with a set on each controller. Multiplexing and triangulation provide real-time position information without the need for configuration by the user.
READ FULL ARTICLE TDK ANNOUNCES NEW CHIRP SONICTRACK™ INSIDE OUT 6-DoF ULTRASONIC CONTROLLER SOLUTION FOR ALL-IN-ONE VR
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762) expands its Chirp Microsystems ultrasonic product portfolio with Chirp SonicTrack™, an ultrasonic six-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) controller tracking solution for all-in-one (AIO) virtual reality (VR) systems. Chirp SonicTrack is an inside-out tracking system that fuses ultrasonic and inertial sensor data to provide 6-DoF position and orientation tracking of a hand-held controller with sub-millimeter precision over a field of view (FoV) of over 240 degrees. The first VR system to use the SonicTrack tracking solution is the developer kit of HTC’s Vive Focus all-in-one VR system, where Chirp-enabled 6-DoF controllers allow users to experience immersive VR content with a standalone headset.
READ FULL PRESS RELEASE TDK SHOWCASES SOLUTIONS FOR AUTOMOTIVE, AR/VR, IoT, MOBILE & WEARABLES AT CES 2019
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TDK Corporation (TSE:6762) will present the industry’s single source of innovative sensor, passive components and electronics solutions marketed under brands TDK, InvenSense, Micronas, Chirp, Tronics and EPCOS in Booth #30306, Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall 3, at CES 2019, January 8-11, Las Vegas, Nev.
READ FULL PRESS RELEASE EMERGING MEMS AND SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES TO WATCH - 2019 AND BEYOND
After five years of development work, Chirp’s products are entering the marketplace. In February 2018, the global supplier TDK InvenSense acquired Chirp, underscoring the company’s commercial potential. At October’s SEMI-MSIG MEMS & Sensors Executive Congress in Napa, Calif., Chirp’s CEO, Dr. Michelle Kiang, held attendees rapt as she described her company’s journey from startup to wholly owned subsidiary.
READ FULL ARTICLE SENSING THE FUTURE, TDK BUYS IT....
The TDK brand is tightly associated with magnetic tapes (audio and videocassette) and magnetic hard disk drive (HDD) heads. The company was founded in 1935 to market the world’s first manufactured magnetic material, ferrite. Given its heritage, TDK has ample reason to be proud of its magnetic personality. TDK is now flexing its M&A muscles in the sensors segment. In an exclusive interview, CTO Dai Matsuoka recently told EE Times that, “except for CMOS image sensors, TDK now has almost all the pieces it needs to make a big play in the sensor market.” Matsuoka said that TDK would focus on developing “added-value” sensors by “combining various sensors that TDK has in the company’s portfolio.” The goal, he said, is a lineup of devices capable of “on-chip sensor fusion,” targeting applications ranging from automotive to industrial and communications.
READ FULL ARTICLE CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS & THE TDK DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE: INTERVIEW WITH DAVID HORSLEY
While on-site at the TDK Developers Conference, Chirp co-founder David Horsley discussed Chirp's technology with Zoe Peterkin from AZO Sensors. "At Chirp, we invented a tiny, millimeter-sized ultrasound chip based on a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT). Through our PMUT technology, Chirp’s ultrasonic sensors can deliver the same performance as conventional sensors that are one thousand times bigger. As we reduced the size, we were also able to dramatically reduce the power consumption – to the point where you can run the sensor at a few micro-amps of current.
READ FULL INTERVIEW CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS NAMED FINALIST AT 3RD ANNUAL SACRAMENTO REGION INNOVATION AWARDS
Twenty-one innovations and the organizations that created them have been named finalists in the third annual Sacramento Region Innovation Awards, presented by Stoel Rives LLP, Moss Adams LLP and the Sacramento Business Journal. Winners in eight categories will be revealed during an awards luncheon on Thursday, November 1, 2018, at the Sacramento Hilton Arden West. Chirp has been named a finalist in the Hardware & Electronics category.
SEE FULL LIST OF FINALISTS THE BRIGHT FUTURE OF MEMS ULTRASONIC SOLUTIONS - INTERVIEW OF CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS, A TDK GROUP COMPANY
Yole’s analysts recently had the opportunity to interview Michelle Kiang, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Chirp Microsystems, one of the key ultrasonic sensor players, which has developed an innovative technology based on PMUT. She agreed to share her vision of the ultrasonic sensor market. Marjorie Villien, Technology & Market Analyst specialised in Medical Imaging & Biophotonics and Alexis Debray, Technology & Market Analyst specialized in Optoelectronics, worked together to produce the report and conduct this interview.
READ FULL INTERVIEW LOOKING IN TO THE FUTURE OF SENSOR TECHNOLOGY....
Alissa Fitzgerald, President of MEMS design and consulting firm AMFitzgerald and Associates, presented an interesting look into upcoming sensor developments in a conference session.Noting that most future sensor technologies have their roots in research projects at university labs, Fitzgerald gave the example of one product, Chirp Microsystems’ MEMS Ultrasound time of flight (ToF) sensor (see video), had its roots in research at the University of California at Berkeley back in 2012. The product was a finalist at Sensors Expo’s annual Innovation Award’s competition this year.
READ FULL ARTICLE CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS NAMED FINALIST FOR SENSORS ONLINE "BEST OF SENSORS EXPO" INNOVATION AWARD
Sensors Expo & Conference, the nations leading event focused exclusively on sensors and sensor-integrated systems, in conjunction with Sensors Online, announced today the finalists of the 2018 Best of Sensors Expo Awards. The competition highlights the advances in both innovations and real-world applications of sensors. For more information and to see the full list of nominees, visit www.sensorsexpo.com
READ FULL ARTICLE TDK SHOWCASES EXTENSIVE PORTFOLIO OF SENSORS AT SENSORS EXPO CONFERENCE 2018
Chirp Microsystems MEMS Ultrasonic ToF Sensors: On display will be MEMS ultrasonic ToF sensors for distance, presence and proximity sensing capabilities. Chirp sensors are offered as a single chip sonar in a tiny package enabling optimal industrial design. They feature ultralow power and high precision range measurement.
READ FULL ARTICLE CHIRP LISTED IN EETIMES "HOT MEMS VENDORS" LIST
Speaking of Chirp’s technology, Michelle Kiang, Chirp CEO explained, “Its size, cost, extremely low power consumption, and the fact that it works under any lighting conditions, including direct sunlight, will be a huge advantage when used in mobile products.” Chirp has potential to add its sonar-on-chip to the intensifying ToF battle in smartphones.
READ FULL ARTICLE AI AND IoT LEAD THE AGE OF SENSOR TECHNOLOGY
This age of sensors is led by the motto, the smaller, the better. Researchers have developed sensors that are about the size of the tip of a needle. A manufacturer of low-power and ultrasonic 3D sensing products, Chirp Microsystems, has developed a novel millimeter-sized time-of-flight (ToF) sensor that uses extremely low power compared to the other ToF sensors on the market. Such inventions are possible due to an innovative technology called sensor fusion, which leverages microcontrollers to fuse the data collected by multiple sensors.
READ FULL ARTICLE CHIRP AWARDED EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARD FOR "BEST INFORMATION/COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY"
The East Bay Economic development Alliance is the regional voice and networking resource for strengthening the economy, building the workforce and enhancing the quality of life in the East Bay. East Bay EDA along with the San Francisco Business Times are continuing to celebrate and award those companies that most contribute to the East Bay's culture of innovation. Chirp Microsystems was awarded the East Bay Innovation Award for Best Information and/or Communication Technology.
READ FULL ARTICLE IS TDK'S CHIRP ACQUISITION AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE OF VR?
“Ultrasonic sensors are widely used in industrial and automotive applications because they are robust, accurate, and reliable” Michelle Kiang, CEO of Chirp Microsystems, said in a press statement. “Until today, ultrasonic sensors were too big and ugly to fit into consumer electronics. At Chirp, we invented a tiny, millimeter-sized ultrasound chip that can deliver the same performance as conventional sensors that are one thousand times bigger. This combination of small size, ultra-low power and ease-of-use opens ultrasonic sensing to a wide variety of products for the first time.”
READ FULL ARTICLE MWC 2018: TDK EXPANDS MEMS PORTFOLIO WITH ACQUISITION OF CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS
Chirp will become a wholly owned subsidiary of TDK and will operate out of the InvenSense facility in Silicon Valley. TDK acquired InvenSense a little more than a year ago to expand its MEMS range in the automotive, manufacturing and energy markets. The terms of the deal were not disclosed and the acquisition is expected to close within the next few days.
READ FULL ARTICLE TDK TAKES OVER 3D SENSING STARTUP CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS
"We hope this will bring a lot of acceleration to our product roadmap, that was the main driver to decide to take that offer instead of pursuing another round of financing. We've been in talk with TDK over a number of years, and that offer was good from all perspectives, for our investors as well as for our employees" - Chirp CEO, Michelle Kiang
READ FULL ARTICLE TDK ACQUIRES STARTUP THAT SQUEEZED SONAR INTO A CHIP
“Our vision is to be the leading solutions provider of sensors for motion, sound, environmental elements (pressure, temperature and humidity), and ultrasonic sensors,” said Noboru Saito, senior vice president of TDK’s sensor systems business unit, in a statement. Chirp’s ultrasonic sensors “will fill out our lineup of sensor solutions,” he said. TDK, which generated almost $11 billion in revenue last year, could use its sales channels to expand the reach of Chirp’s technology. That could give ultrasonic sensors a larger cut of the market for 3D sensors, which is expected to grow four fold to more than $9 billion by 2022, according to Yole Developement.
READ FULL ARTICLE JAPAN'S TDK SCOOPS UP BERKELEY'S CHIRP, MAKER OF SONAR MICRO-CHIP
TDK, founded in 1935, says its goal is to become the leading source of sensors for the Internet of Things (IoT) era. Its ambitions extend to the mobile, automotive, industrial, and healthcare sectors.“Chirp’s unique and high value-added 3-D sensing technologies will fill out our lineup of sensor solutions, positioning TDK as the leader in ultrasonic MEMS technology,” said Noboru Saito, senior vice president at TDK and CEO of TDK unit Sensor Systems Business Company, in a company statement.
READ FULL ARTICLE CHIRP SLURPED UP BY TDK - THE SONAR-ON-CHIP STARTUP TO LIVE IN THE SAME ECOSYSTEM WITH INVENSENSE
In an exclusive interview with EE Times, Michelle Kiang, Chirp’s CEO, told us, “Of course, we founded Chirp, not to sell, but to grow our own business. But last fall, when we were raising money for our series A — which was oversubscribed — we also heard of TDK’s interest.” She added, “We were open to the idea of becoming a part of a larger organization because the opportunity appears to give us the chance to live in the same ecosystem they are already in, and it could become a way for us to scale our business at a much faster pace.”
READ FULL ARTICLE TDK TO ACQUIRE CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS, AIMING FOR LEADERSHIP IN ULTRASONIC SENSING SOLUTIONS
“Our team is excited to be part of the TDK family. We believe together we can bring ultrasonic sensors to a wide variety of products at an even greater speed and scale than we could on our own,” said Michelle Kiang, Chirp’s CEO. “We see so many synergies with TDK technologies; EPCOS is a world-leader in piezo-ceramic sensors and actuators, and InvenSense is a world-leader in MEMS sensors for consumer electronics.”
READ PRESS RELEASE CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS NAMED FINALIST FOR EAST BAY INNOVATION AWARD
The East Bay Economic development Alliance is the regional voice and networking resource for strengthening the economy, building the workforce and enhancing the quality of life in the East Bay. East Bay EDA along with the San Francisco Business Times are continuing to celebrate and award those companies that most contribute to the East Bay's culture of innovation. Chirp Microsystems has been named a finalist in the category of Information and/or Communication Technology. Winners will be announced at the EDA Awards Gala in Oakland on March 29th, 2018.
VISIT EVENT SITE CHIRP ADDS SONAR-ON-CHIP TO ToF BATTLE
"Although the market has already seen time-of-flight (ToF) sensors built on different technologies — such as IR and optical — Chirp Microsystems believes its new MEMS-based millimeter-sized ultrasound chip will become an effective alternative to the competition. Chirp boasts that it operates at ultra-low power with high precision range. It stands up to harsher environments while working both in total darkness and under the full sun, according to the company."
READ FULL ARTICLE CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS SQUEEZES SONAR INTO SILICON CHIPS
"Chirp has started sampling its first line of ultrasonic time-of-flight sensors, which consume so little power that they can stay be embedded in consumer electronics like smartphones. The sensors are based on tiny mechanical chips called microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS, which are fabricated the same way as traditional digital chips."
READ FULL ARTICLE CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS' ULTRASONIC TIME-OF-FLIGHT SENSORS ADVANCE RANGE-FINDING, POSITION TRACKING, OBJECT AVOIDANCE IN CONSUMER ELECTRONICS, ROBOTICS, DRONES - NASDAQ GLOBE NEWSWIRE
"Commonly recognized as the best range-sensors for automotive and industrial applications — as well as for drones and robotics — ultrasonic ToF sensors offer numerous advantages. They deliver the most accurate range measurement regardless of target size or color and are immune to ambient noise. Unlike optical ToF sensors, they work in direct sunlight. Unlike earlier ultrasonic sensors, Chirp’s ultrasonic sensors are also small and low-power enough for space-constrained consumer applications such as smartphones."
READ FULL ARTICLE EE TIMES NAMES "ADDING DEPTH TO TOUCHLESS SENSING" ONE OF "FOUR BIG TRENDS TO WATCH AT CES 2018"
"The key to enabling depth is Time of Flight (ToF) sensors. A ToF sensor can be based on various technologies such as infrared, optical or ultrasonic. It allows users to interact with smart devices “without actually touching screens, or to interact with devices that don’t have a screen,” Michelle Kiang, CEO of Chirp Microsystems, told us earlier this year when she discussed a single-chip ultrasonic ToF sensor her company has developed."
READ FULL ARTICLE CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS NAMED TO EE TIMES SILICON 60: EMERGING COMPANIES TO WATCH FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR
"EE Times has been updating and publishing the Silicon 60 since April 2004 to reflect the latest corporate, commercial, technology and market conditions. The latest batch of newcomers include companies active in materials, MEMS sensors and actuators, displays, machine learning, networking, EDA, image sensing, wireless power, open-hardware and memory. The selection of the 60 companies in Silicon 60 is based on the consideration of a mix of criteria including: technology, intended market, financial position and investment profile, maturity and executive leadership."
READ FULL ARTICLE CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS NAMED AS FINALIST FOR SACRAMENTO REGION INNOVATION AWARD
“Sixteen finalists have been selected in the second annual Sacramento Region Innovation Awards presented by Stoel Rives LLP, Moss Adams LLP and the Sacramento Business Journal. The awards program recognizes recent business innovations in six categories, honoring the people and organization that advance new products, services and processes from the regional economy. Winners will be announced during an awards luncheon on November 7, 2017 in Sacramento.
READ FULL ARTICLE CHIRP CTO & UC DAVIS PROFESSOR DAVID HORSLEY WINS ALEXANDER SCHWARZKOPF PRIZE FOR TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
“Horsley, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and his UC Berkeley colleague, Prof. Bernhard Boser, are being recognized for building the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center (BSAC) into an internationally recognized laboratory."
READ FULL ARTICLE |
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MARCH OF THE TOUCHLESS USER INTERFACES
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“The challenge for ultrasound is that it’s a new technology for consumer electronics, so many customers aren’t familiar with its capabilities,” said David Horsley, CTO, Chirp Microsystems.
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THE SOUND OF TOUCH: ENHANCING UI and VR WITH ULTRASOUND
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Design News | March 13, 2017
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"In the mission to make controlling and interacting with devices as natural as possible we've developed touchscreens, speech recognition, and motion tracking. Chirp Microsystems, a Berkeley,CA-based startup, believes the next evolution of user experience (UI) will happen because of sound.
Chirp has unveiled a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based time-of-flight (ToF) sensor that uses ultrasound transducers to give users touch-free control over their devices, using hand and finger gestures. A recent demo (shown below) of Chirp's technology shows a user controlling a tablet simply by using hand-gestures in the air.(...)"
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Chirp has unveiled a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based time-of-flight (ToF) sensor that uses ultrasound transducers to give users touch-free control over their devices, using hand and finger gestures. A recent demo (shown below) of Chirp's technology shows a user controlling a tablet simply by using hand-gestures in the air.(...)"
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COMPETING SENSOR CRAVE HUMAN CONTACT
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EE Times | March 7, 2017
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"Chirp believes that its first and the best shot for its Time-of-Flight sensor lies in virtual and augmented reality applications. Chirp has already rolled out to select customers “ultrasonic sensing development platform for VR/AR. High-end VR/AR systems today are tethered to a base station or confined to a prescribed space. This is because additional sensor technologies, such as a camera-based system or a magnetic sensor system, need to be installed in the space, to create better tracking experiences by correcting “drift” by the inertial measurement unit (IMU) inside VR/AR head units."
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CHIRP INTRODUCES HIGH ACCURACY TOUCHLESS ULTRASONIC SENSING
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Yahoo! Finance | February 28, 2017
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"Chirp Microsystems, the pioneer in low-power ultrasonic sensing solutions, today introduced at Mobile World Congress 2017 the first high-accuracy, ultra-low power ultrasonic sensing development platform for wearables. The new Chirp development platform -- which leverages the company's microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based time-of-flight (ToF) sensor -- senses tiny "microgestures" with 1mm accuracy, allowing users to interact with wearables and other consumer electronics devices using the smallest of gestures.(...)"
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CHIRP FEATURED ON EE TIMES
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EE Times | February 27, 2017
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"Chirp Microsystems, a Berkeley, Calif.-based startup with 15 employees, came to the MWC this week to launch the company’s first high-accuracy, ultra-low power ultrasonic sensing development platform for wearables.
Smartwatches, typical of many wearables, have limited screen sizes that suffer from the “fat finger” effect, said Kiang. By embedding MEMS-based ultrasonic ToF sensors inside a smartwatch, the finger – fat or otherwise – uses gestures, without screen contact, to control watch functions(...)" READ FULL ARTICLE |
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CHIRP AT CES 2017
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Consumer Electronics Show | January 5-8, 2017
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For the third time in a row Chirp Microsystems was present at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The show was a tremendous success, mainly due to the high interest in Chirp's new ultrasonic 6DOF controller tracking for mobile VR. Chirp's inside-out tracking solution enables 360-degree untethered VR/AR interaction. 6DOF controller tracking is achieved by fusing ultrasound (sonar) with MEMS IMU data. Check out our controller in action!
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CHIRP CTO ON THE FUTURE OF USER INTERFACES BEYOND TOUCH
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IEEE Spectrum | November 22, 2016
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"Today, we control our electronic world by touch—we tap, we swipe, we pinch and zoom. The touch interface went from being a novelty back in 2007, when Apple first brought it to the iPhone, to a ubiquitous feature in less than a decade. It is so commonplace that toddlers declare nontouch displays broken when the screen doesn’t respond to their fingers. But touch isn’t the end of the story. You can’t use it when you’re dripping in the shower, you can’t wear a touch screen on your eyeglasses, and you probably won’t explore virtual reality by swiping and pinching a handheld slab of glass.
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CHIRP AMONG THE MSIG TECH SHOWCASE FINALISTS
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MEMS & Sensors Industry Group | October 11, 2016
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"Today's VR and gaming systems are limited by their reliance on complex computer vision techniques for controller tracking, resulting in higher cost, limited tracking area and lack of mobility due to high power consumption. Chirp Microsystems' ultrasonic tracking technology addresses these limitations, offering solutions that enable truly mobile VR and AR systems at attractive price points suitable for multiple tiers of products."
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ABOUT MSIG's SHOWCASE EVENT >>
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ABOUT MSIG's SHOWCASE EVENT >>
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CHIRP'S REVOLUTIONARY INSIDE-OUT TRACKING TECHNOLOGY
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VLAB | October 18, 2016
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Next October 18, 2016, follow live at VLAB's Augmented Reality: Where Virtual and Physical Worlds Converge
"Fueled by high-profile developments like Google Glass, Microsoft's Hololens, Argon Reality's open-source mobile AR browser, and Facebook's acquisition of Oculus, the market is anticipated to grow to $30B by 2025. Startups and established companies alike are tapping into the endless possibilities for mediated reality products for consumer, industrial and military applications." REGISTER AND GO LIVE >> |
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CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS ONCE AGAIN INCLUDED IN SILICON 60: HOT STARTUPS TO WATCH
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EE Times | September 19, 2016
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"EE Times has selected 25 startup companies to come on to version 17.1 of its list of 60 firms that we feel are worth keeping an eye on. Some are more mature than others and may be lucky enough to start seeing the market coming towards them."
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CHIRP AND IoT
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Comstock's | July 19, 2016
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"At Berkeley-based CHIRP Microsystems, Horsley is also working on producing sensors that respond to 3D actions, using hand motions to bounce back an ultra-low audio wave. These sensors will run all the time, monitoring your every move for an action that tells them to turn on or be aware of a command. In a product video for CHIRP, Horsley waves his hand in front of an iPad to wake it up and flips the pages of a book, without ever touching the screen (...)"
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CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS AGAIN INCLUDED IN SILICON 60: HOT STARTUPS TO WATCH
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EE Times | September 8, 2015
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"It has been just over a year since EE Times produced a version 15.1 of the Silicon 60. Over that time the global economic situation has moved sideways with the United States enjoying growth but Europe and Japan generally failing to gain momentum. Meanwhile concerns about declining growth in China, which has served as an engine of the global economy, has turned into a downward slides on China's stock exchanges, which has in turn given rise to volatility in stock indices worldwide."
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CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS NAMED ONE OF THE 15 STARTUPS TO WATCH IN 2015
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EE Times | January 6, 2015
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"(...) 15 startups that are eager to change the world of electronics and that we think are worth keeping an eye on in 2015 if you are interested in analog, MEMS, and sensors.
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CHIRP MICROSYSTEMS INCLUDED IN SILICON 60: HOT STARTUPS TO WATCH
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EE Times | July 15, 2014
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"The 60 companies in Silicon 60 v15.1 have been selected based on the consideration of a mix of criteria including: technology, intended market, financial position, investment profile, maturity, and executive leadership. They are emerging companies to follow, for a variety of reasons."
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SONAR DRIVES GESTURE RECOGNITION STARTUP
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EE Times Europe | May 5, 2014
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"Startup Chirp Microsystems Inc. (Albany, Calif.) was founded late in 2013 to commercialize research into the use of a piezoelectric ultrasound transducer array to capture depth information and gesture recognition."
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CHIRP AMONG THE HOTTEST PAPERS FROM ISSCC CONFERENCE
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EE Times | February 14, 2014
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"Ultrasound transducers emit a pulse that hits a user's hand and then measure how long it takes for the echo to come back to move an object on display. This ultra-low-power, ultra-small sensor from Chirp Microsystems can run for 30 hours on a charge and can be easily embedded into wearables and movable devices. The sensor has a range of up to a meter high and a little less to the side, making it ideal for small spaces."
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A GESTURE INTERFACE FOR SMARTWATCHES
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MIT Technology Review | November 1, 2013
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"If just thinking about using a tiny touch screen on a smart watch has your fingers cramping up, researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and Davis may soon offer some relief: they’re developing a tiny chip that uses ultrasound waves to detect a slew of gestures in three dimensions. The chip could be implanted in wearable gadgets."
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THIS 3D GESTURE-DETECTING CHIP COULD ACTUALLY MAKE SMARTWATCHES USEFUL
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Gizmodo | November 1, 2013
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"If idea of fiddling around with a tiny, wrist-mounted touchscreen is enough to make you want to give up on smartwatches before they even really arrive, then whoa. This 3D gesture-recognition might actually make these things useful."
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