Showcasing applications with hybrid ToF™ cameras

TOPPAN Holdings at RoboDEX

Tokyo – January 16, 2025 – TOPPAN Holdings Inc. (TYO: 7911) (TOPPAN Holdings) is set to participate in RoboDEX, part of Factory Innovation Week, taking place from January 22 to 24 at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center.

RoboDEX is a comprehensive expo featuring robots and autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) used in factories and logistics, as well as components and materials for robots. The TOPPAN Group booth (S7-14) will highlight applications that leverage the strengths of 3D ToF (Time of Flight) cameras utilizing the TOPPAN Group’s proprietary hybrid ToF™ technology.1

Key 3D ToF Camera Applications on Display

・Enhancing the Safety of Robots in Outdoor Environments:

The TOPPAN Group’s 3D ToF cameras accurately capture surroundings and contribute to the safe operation of robots in outdoor settings with various ambient light sources. These cameras measure distances to steps and other obstacles without being affected by sunlight, even in challenging conditions such as mid-summer sunlight of 100,000 lx or indoor environments where sunlight streams through windows. This capability enables ToF cameras to accurately assess surrounding conditions and ensure safe autonomous movement for robots near windows, on floors with steps, and in public roads and other outdoor areas with high traffic of people or objects.

・Boosting Logistics Automation with Forklift Pallet Detection:

As the "eyes" of forklifts detecting and transporting various pallets, the TOPPAN Group’s 3D ToF cameras excel in measuring distances to objects in both dark and well-lit environments. Their high ambient light tolerance, unaffected by sunlight, and HDR2 function allow them to simultaneously capture low-reflectance and high-reflectance objects, overcoming a traditional weakness of the ToF method. These features make them ideal for automated forklifts in warehouses and factories, accurately identifying slots of pallets made from different materials and colors in mixed lighting conditions.

・Enhancing Safety and Comfort in Public Spaces:

The TOPPAN Group’s hybrid ToF™ technology enables high-speed sensing of up to 120 fps without motion artifacts3, allowing the capture of people in motion without blurring. This capability provides accurate positional information in busy public facilities, useful for marketing strategies, security, and monitoring. With these strengths, ToF cameras can be employed in applications requiring high-speed movement, extending beyond simple detection of people flow.

・(Reference Display) Behavioral Authentication:

The TOPPAN Group booth will present the concept behind its ongoing R&D on behavioral authentication using 3D ToF cameras.

About RoboDEX: Robot Development & Application EXPO

Dates: January 22 to 24, 2025
Times: 10:00—17:00
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight (South Exhibition Halls)
Organizer: RX Japan Ltd.
Official website: https://www.fiweek.jp/hub/en-gb/about/robodex.html
TOPPAN booth: S7-14

Concurrent events: Automotive World 2025, Nepcon Japan 2025, Wearable Expo, Smart Logistics Expo
・At Automotive World 2025, held concurrently at Tokyo Big Sight, TOPPAN Inc. (booth E44-14) will showcase TOPPAN Group electronics products addressing challenges in the automotive industry. Exhibits will include light control films for vehicles, the latest small and medium-sized LCDs, and electromagnetic wave control solutions.

1. hybrid ToF™: Refers to a technology developed based on the ToF measurement technique proposed by Prof. Shoji Kawahito of Shizuoka University. It fuses the short pulse ToF method with sensor control using the multi-time window technique. The term also refers to 3D ToF sensors and cameras equipped with the technology. The strengths of the technology are its outstanding ambient light tolerance and reduction of blurring, meaning it can be used in outdoor environments without being affected by sunlight and can capture fast-moving objects accurately.
https://www.holdings.toppan.com/en/news/2022/06/newsrelease220616.html
2. HDR function: HDR is an acronym of high dynamic range, an imaging technology for capturing multiple range data with different exposure times in a single range image.
3. Motion artifact: A data error that occurs unintentionally during signal and image processing when moving objects are captured.

About the TOPPAN Group

Established in Tokyo in 1900, the TOPPAN Group is a leading and diversified global provider committed to delivering sustainable, integrated solutions in fields including printing, communications, security, packaging, décor materials, electronics, and digital transformation. The TOPPAN Group’s global team of more than 50,000 employees offers optimal solutions enabled by industry-leading expertise and technologies to address the diverse challenges of every business sector and society and contribute to the achievement of shared sustainability goals.
https://www.holdings.toppan.com/en/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/toppan/

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