Himax invests in thermal imaging sensor manufacturer
Image processing specialist Himax Technologies has announced a strategic investment in Obsidian Sensors to boost its presence in the automotive sector.
Taiwan-based Himax is a fabless semiconductor provider dedicated to display imaging processing technologies. Its display driver ICs and timing controllers are used in a range of products such as TVs, PC monitors, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, automotive, ePaper devices and industrial displays. Its current focus is its WiseEye Ultralow Power AI Sensing technology, which incorporates the Himax proprietary ultralow power AI processor
Meanwhile San Diego-based Obsidian has developed a production process called microbolometer that manufactures high-resolution thermal sensors at scale and low cost using its Large Area MEMS Platform (LAMP). Obsidian believes the technology is set to drive widespread adoption in the automotive industry and other sectors such as security, surveillance, and drones.
These new market opportunities were the driver behind Himax's strategic investment. The two firms say they will start an ongoing engineering collaboration where Obsidian leverages Himax's IC design resources and know-how, and the two companies also aim to combine the advantages of Himax’s WiseEye with Obsidian’s high-resolution thermal imaging
Jordan Wu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Himax, said: “Himax’s strategic investment in Obsidian further enhances our portfolio and expands our technology reach to cover thermal sensing which represents a great complement to our WiseEye technology. Further, we see tremendous potential of Obsidian’s technology in the automotive sector where Himax already holds a dominant position in display semiconductors. We also anticipate additional synergies through expansion of our partnership with our combined strength and respective expertise driving future success."
