Sick and Microsoft want to jointly develop 3DToF technologies for industrial 3D cameras in the context of Industry 4.0 and apply them to Sick's 3D Time of Flight (3DToF) Visionary-T cameras to make them smarter using Azure Intelligent Cloud and Intelligent Edge. The Visionary-T Mini 3DToF camera from Sick is expected to be available for industrial applications in early 2021; prototypes are already available. "We want to remain the technology leader by continuously improving and developing new 3D camera solutions. Cooperations with companies such as Microsoft accelerate implementation and, above all, are more cost-effective for our customers," says Dr. Robert Bauer, CEO of Sick.

The Visionary-T Mini incorporates another version of Microsoft's 3DToF technology with a dynamic bandwidth and a resolution of approximately 510 x 420 pixels. Compared to the Azure Kinect DK, the camera thus offers higher performance, advanced data processing directly on the camera and the following enhancements: 24/7 availability, industrial interfaces, improved resolution with sharper depth images and improved depth quality.

Many years of 3DToF experience on both sides

With the intelligent depth technology currently offered as part of the Hololens mixed reality device and the Azure Kinect Development Kit, Microsoft has extensive know-how and expertise in the field of 3DToF measurement.

Industrial cameras based on technologies such as active and passive stereoscopy and 3D time-of-flight have been part of Sick's standard portfolio for almost five years. Customers from a wide range of industries use the so-called 3D snapshot cameras from Sick for fast, robust and reliable acquisition of distance images and the information derived from them. The company thus has extensive technological knowledge, as well as market and application know-how, to build and develop advanced 3D cameras suitable for industrial use.