Detectors & Imaging

RTI spins out SWIR Vision Systems to commercialize IR machine vision camera technology

March 30, 2018

SWIR Vision Systems will commercialize infrared camera technology developed at RTI International.

SWIR Vision Systems introduces the Acuros family of high-definition cameras featuring CQD sensor technology.

RTI International (Research Triangle Park, NC), a nonprofit research institute, launched a new spin-out venture company, SWIR Vision Systems, to commercialize infrared camera technology developed at RTI for applications in the industrial machine vision, security systems, agricultural, automotive, and other global imaging markets.

"Commercializing our most promising discoveries is an important aspect of our mission to improve the human condition by turning knowledge into practice," said Wayne Holden, president and CEO of RTI International.

RTI's patented infrared (IR) camera technology, based on novel and commercially scalable IR image sensor materials, was advanced with a combination of grant support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and internal development, management, and financial support from RTI. The technology was licensed exclusively to SWIR Vision Systems, which plans to commercialize its Acuros SWIR-band cameras in 2018 and manufacture the cameras at its Research Triangle Park, NC operations center.

"To further support the new company, RTI has made an equity investment, and will participate going forward via board membership," said Ginger Rothrock, who directs technology commercialization at RTI. "RTI's early stage commercialization model provides multi-disciplinary support and investment to a focused portfolio of high potential development programs," added Rothrock.

George Wildeman, a photonics industry executive and entrepreneur with over 25 years of technology commercialization experience, has been named CEO of SWIR Vision Systems. Ethan Klem will transition from RTI to become SWIR’s CTO. Klem led the innovative research and development program for the sensors during his tenure at RTI and will continue to spearhead the technical program with the new company.

"Acuros cameras will dramatically expand the imaging toolkit for machine vision integrators, disrupting the cost and performance curve for vision systems design,” said Wildeman, “We look forward to witnessing the impact of the technology as it is adopted in our target applications and markets."

SOURCE: RTI International; https://www.rti.org/news/rti-international-launches-new-company-commercialize-machine-vision-imaging-technology

About the Author

Gail Overton | Senior Editor (2004-2020)

Gail has more than 30 years of engineering, marketing, product management, and editorial experience in the photonics and optical communications industry. Before joining the staff at Laser Focus World in 2004, she held many product management and product marketing roles in the fiber-optics industry, most notably at Hughes (El Segundo, CA), GTE Labs (Waltham, MA), Corning (Corning, NY), Photon Kinetics (Beaverton, OR), and Newport Corporation (Irvine, CA). During her marketing career, Gail published articles in WDM Solutions and Sensors magazine and traveled internationally to conduct product and sales training. Gail received her BS degree in physics, with an emphasis in optics, from San Diego State University in San Diego, CA in May 1986.