Preface:

Bringing scientific research-level technology to the civilian consumer market has always been a formidable challenge.

Spectral technology, a laboratory marvel, has traditionally remained unexplored in the civilian domain.

Author | Fang Wensan

Image Source | Network

The Confluence of Spectral Technology and the Civilian Market

The journey from spectral technology in the lab to the civilian market has been fraught with obstacles. Traditional spectral technology is plagued by high costs, which constitute a significant hurdle.

Traditional spectral instruments are not only bulky but also prohibitively expensive, costing tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, making them inaccessible to average consumers and numerous industries.

Furthermore, the complex environment of the civilian market introduces substantial noise, significantly impacting the efficiency and accuracy of spectral analysis, thereby diminishing its effectiveness in civilian applications.

However, the advent of AI technology has revolutionized the civilian application of spectral technology. AI and spectral chips collaborate seamlessly, playing crucial roles in hardware modulation and software demodulation.

Leveraging CMOS technology, the spectral chip utilizes spectral modulation to obtain optical field spectral information, which is then processed with AI algorithms. These algorithms automatically extract spectral features, effectively filter out noise, and perform baseline correction, enabling consumer-grade devices to capture precise images and spectral data, thereby overcoming the limitations of traditional spectral analysis.

Moreover, AI algorithms thrive on vast amounts of high-quality data, and the non-destructive detection and high efficiency of spectral information provide ample data support.

By integrating spectral information with machine vision digital data, it simplifies models, reduces computational power requirements, and lowers the difficulty of application deployment, thereby addressing the affordability issue in industrial intelligence.

The synergistic development of AI and spectral technology has paved the way for the widespread application of spectral chips in the civilian market.

AI Propels the Intelligent Evolution of Spectral Chips

As the automotive industry transitions towards intelligence, spectral chips have demonstrated immense potential in smart cockpits and autonomous driving.

In smart cockpits, spectral cameras monitor the driver's safety and health in real-time, providing prompt alerts upon detecting abnormalities, thus ensuring the safety of drivers and passengers.

In autonomous driving, spectral information accurately depicts road obstacle characteristics, aiding the autonomous driving system in making swift and precise decisions, formulating appropriate response strategies, and enhancing driving safety and comfort.

In the realm of the low-altitude economy, the fusion of AI spectral cameras and drones opens up new vistas for photography. Together, they capture more accurate color information and produce images with more realistic hues and richer details.

Whether it's natural scenery or urban landscapes, they deliver superior visual effects, catering to the high-quality shooting needs of photography enthusiasts and professionals.

The integration of AI spectral chips with wearable devices has ushered in innovative applications in health monitoring. Through spectral chips, wearable devices continuously monitor various skin physiological indicators, such as moisture content and blood oxygen saturation, providing personalized health recommendations and enabling individuals to track their health status at any time for intelligent health management.

Challenges and Breakthroughs in Commercial AI Spectral Chips

Spectral chips hold extensive application prospects in the consumer electronics and B-end industry markets, with an anticipated industrial scale of tens to hundreds of billions. However, the path from chip design to final commercialization is fraught with challenges.

The chip semiconductor industry demands substantial funds and talent, and the risk of innovation is substantial, making private capital cautious. Historically, enterprises have primarily relied on government subsidies and project systems for funding, but with market development, they require more diversified financial support.

Spectral data collection is arduous and costly, and open-source datasets are scarce, necessitating most enterprises to collect their own data. As application scenarios expand, the demand for data scale continues to grow, posing greater challenges to enterprises' data collection capabilities.

In terms of manufacturing, spectral chips are predominantly focused on mature processes, and domestic manufacturing capabilities can meet certain mass production needs.

This enables some enterprises to expedite their entry into the commercial stage after successful chip tape-out. Nevertheless, with intensifying market competition and continuous technological advancements, enterprises must persistently optimize manufacturing processes, enhance chip performance and quality, and adapt to market changes.

Active Pursuits by Domestic Enterprises

In China, numerous enterprises are actively engaging in the spectral chip field. Besides achieving notable accomplishments in spectral imaging technology research and development, there are companies like Orbbec, specializing in 3D visual perception technology, with its related products widely used in consumer electronics, intelligent security, and other sectors, supporting spectral technology in obtaining three-dimensional spatial information.

Additionally, Focus Technology, with years of experience in environmental monitoring and industrial process analysis, employs spectral technology to provide high-precision detection and analysis solutions for environmental protection, industrial, and other industries.

As a hard technology investment and incubation platform, Zhongkechuangxing not only offers financial support to spectral chip enterprises but also plays a pivotal role in technology research and development, industrial resource integration, and more, aiding related enterprises in growth and expansion.

These enterprises continuously innovate and break through in their respective domains, collectively advancing the development of spectral technology in China and contributing to the widespread application of spectral chips in the civilian market.

Conclusion:

The development of AI spectral chips is a protracted and intricate process that necessitates not only consistent investment in technology research and development by enterprises but also relentless efforts in fund-raising, data management, computing power augmentation, and manufacturing process optimization.

Only through these endeavors can we foster the widespread application of spectral chips in the civilian market, achieve the profound integration of the digital and physical worlds, and bring about greater convenience and innovation in people's lives.

Content Reference Source: Sohu: AI Spectral Chips: A Glorious Intersection of Technology and Civilian Use; Brain Extreme: The AI Glow of a Spectral Chip