Enabling In-Car Gesture Control Using Time-of-Flight Sensors

SIEGEN, Germany — (BUSINESS WIRE) — February 24, 2019 — pmdtechnologies ag and BYTON, the premium intelligent electric vehicle brand, announced that pmdtechnologies ag’s 3D Time-of-Flight sensors will be used for the in-car gesture control camera system operating the 48-inch Shared Experience Display (SED) in BYTON’s first production model, the M-Byte SUV.

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Positioned as the next generation smart device, BYTON’s product line integrates advanced digital technologies to offer customers a smart, safe, comfortable, and eco-friendly driving and mobility experience. The M-Byte is the first vehicle from BYTON, a mid-sized electric SUV that will start production in late 2019 with a design and technology platform that reflects the company’s global footprint.

“As cars get more and more functions, natural interactions are becoming an important tool to simplify the human-machine interface. Byton is one of the most innovative players in the field, so the partnership is exciting for pmd as we can showcase the potential of our unique 3D approach including full sunlight, which is difficult for other 3D technologies,” said Dr. Bernd Buxbaum, CEO of pmdtechnologies ag. “Byton is changing the way consumers interact with an automobile and I am proud that our technology is a part of the M-Byte,” he added.

pmdtechnologies ag’s 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors which have been jointly developed with Infineon Technologies AG are already used in smartphones, robots, VR/AR headsets and now automobiles. In Byton’s M-Byte, ToF sensors enable a car passenger to use a hand gesture to answer a smartphone or to turn on their favorite music via the SED.

The pmd 3D ToF sensor has a set of illuminators at the top of M-Byte’s Camera, which continuously emits invisible light into the car cockpit. The ToF sensor measures the time it takes for the camera light to bounce back from objects and persons, whether they are stationary or moving enabling the in-car gesture control camera system.

About BYTON

It is not about refining cars. It is about refining life.

BYTON aspires to build premium intelligent electric vehicles for the future. Its crafted cars integrate advanced digital technologies to offer customers a smart, safe, comfortable and eco-friendly driving and mobility experience.

BYTON aims to create a premium brand rooted in China with global reach, via a network of highly integrated offices. BYTON is headquartered in Nanjing, China, which is also home to its intelligent manufacturing base and one of several major R&D centers around the world. Its North American headquarters in Silicon Valley is focused on developing cutting-edge technologies for applications across the intelligent car user experience and autonomous driving, as well as on developing and managing North American operations. A European R&D center is based in Munich, Germany, and is responsible for designing prototype and concept model. BYTON also has offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, which oversee external affairs, marketing, sales, design and investor relations.

BYTON’s core management team is made up of the world’s top experts from China, Europe and the U.S., all of whom have held senior management positions in innovative companies such as BMW, Tesla, Google and Apple. Their expertise covers automotive design, automotive engineering and manufacturing, electric powertrain, intelligent connectivity, autonomous driving, user interface and supply chain management among other industry sectors, the sum of which represents BYTON’s strengths in manufacturing premium automobiles that are equipped with high quality internet technologies. Official website: www.byton.com

About pmdtechnologies ag

pmdtechnologies ag, a fabless IC company headquartered in Siegen/Germany with subsidiaries in USA, China and Korea, is the worldwide leading 3D Time-of-Flight CMOS-based digital imaging technology supplier. Started up in 2002, the company owns over 350 worldwide patents concerning pmd-based applications, the pmd measurement principle and its realization. Addressed markets for pmd's 3D sensors are industrial automation, automotive and the wide field of consumer applications like AR/VR. Further information is available at www.pmdtec.com.

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Contact:

pmdtechnologies ag | contact
Sabrina Buxbaum
Director Corporate Strategy & Marketing
Phone: +49 271 23 85 38 800
E-Mail: Email Contact

Byton | contact
Oliver Strohbach
Director Public Relations Europe
Phone: +49 151 11 42 67 11
E-mail: Email Contact