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New tools give machines ability to see
Tuesday, March 26 2002
by Sheila McDonald


A Silicon Valley company has unveiled new electronic perception technology that
could be used to let PCs, mobile phones and automobiles "see" their
environment.



Canesta said the patented technology it has developed enables devices to perceive
objects around them in three dimensions. The technology might let an automobile
warn its driver of a dangerous lane change, for example, or could be used in a
baby monitor that would sound a warning if it saw the child trying to climb out
of its crib.



Canesta also believes its tools could put an end to traditional input devices,
like keyboards and computer mice, since computers would be able to detect hand
and body movements and translate these into commands. This might let a person
play a computer video game, for example, where the computer detects and
interprets the person's movements without the need for a joystick or control pad.




The technology could also let a person change television channels with a gesture
at the TV set instead of using a remote control. Canesta said it has already done
substantial research into the area of gesture-controlled consumer electronics and
"virtual" keyboards, and the company is now working on adapting its technology
for incorporation into personal electronics later this year.



"It is the ability to sense the nearby world as three-dimensional contours,
rather than as flat images, that makes such unrelated but intriguing applications
ultimately possible," said Nazim Kareemi, Canesta's president and chief
executive officer.



Canesta's technology is based on 3D electronic perception sensor chips and on
proprietary image processing software that is embedded in the chips. 



The technology uses a concept similar to RADAR, where radio waves are bounced off
objects and timed to determine how far away the objects are. With Canesta's
technology, bursts of invisible light are constantly bounced off surrounding
objects, and information about the images and their distance is quickly processed
to determine their location in three dimensions. Most of the essential
calculations are done directly on the chip, which means the hardware itself
provides a 3D "contour map" of the world, ready for use by software
applications. 



Canesta did not give pricing for its core technology but said it was "ultra
low-cost," and Kareemi said the technology is likely to be embedded in even the
most modestly-priced electronic devices. Canesta said makers of PDAs and mobile
phones have expressed strong interest in the technology.



Founded in 1999, Canesta has secured backing of more than USD20 million from
institutions including Carlyle Venture Partners, Apax Partners and JP Morgan
Partners.



Canesta is at http://www.canesta.com.