Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Friday November 17 2017, @11:06AM   Printer-friendly
from the everyone-can-see-you-scream dept.

In a bid to make the iPhone an augmented reality device, Apple reportedly plans to add a rear-facing 3D sensor to the iPhone in the coming years, using a different technology than that used in the front-facing Face ID sensor:

Apple Inc. is working on a rear-facing 3-D sensor system for the iPhone in 2019, another step toward turning the handset into a leading augmented-reality device, according to people familiar with the plan.

Apple is evaluating a different technology from the one it currently uses in the TrueDepth sensor system on the front of the iPhone X, the people said. The existing system relies on a structured-light technique that projects a pattern of 30,000 laser dots onto a user's face and measures the distortion to generate an accurate 3-D image for authentication. The planned rear-facing sensor would instead use a time-of-flight approach that calculates the time it takes for a laser to bounce off surrounding objects to create a three-dimensional picture of the environment.

The company is expected to keep the TrueDepth system, so future iPhones will have both front and rear-facing 3-D sensing capabilities. Apple has started discussions with prospective suppliers of the new system, the people said. Companies manufacturing time-of-flight sensors include Infineon Technologies AG, Sony Corp., STMicroelectronics NV and Panasonic Corp. The testing of the technology is still in early stages and it could end up not being used in the final version of the phone, the people said. They asked not to be identified discussing unreleased features. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 17 2017, @09:56PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 17 2017, @09:56PM (#598409)
    I agree that none of existing videoconferencing systems provide both front and rear view of the speaker. Apple, driven by burning need, comes up with a unique product! :-)