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Research Highlights on NYCU News


The research achievement is attributed to the excellent collaboration between the Department of Photonics at our university, led by Assistant Professor Yao-Wei Huang (front row, left), a young scholar from NYCU, and the team from HHRI's Semiconductor Division, led by Dr. Hao-Chung Kuo (front row, right), Director, and Dr. Yu-Heng Hong (back row, second from left).



Farewell to Smartphone Notches! NYCU Teams Up with HHRI to Break Spatial Computing Limits, Introducing Cutting-Edge Facial Recognition Technology Published in Top Global Journal


Translated by Elaine Chuang, Edited by Chance Lai


The Semiconductor Division at Hon Hai Research Institute (HHRI) and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) have collaborated to develop a groundbreaking technology successfully - the "Novel Depth Sensing and Facial Recognition System." This achievement was recently published in the prestigious global journal ’Nano Letters.’ It was selected as the cover story for the February issue, highlighting the outstanding performance of NYCU's research on the international stage.


Innovative Depth Sensing and Facial Recognition Technology Ushers in a New Era of Smartphones


Comparisons were made between depth information generated by the research team's system (top row) and depth information obtained through the iPhone dot projector (bottom row).


Assistant Professor Yao-Wei Huang stated that this research achievement combines novel nanophotonic technology with human-machine interaction sensing techniques. It enables the miniaturization of depth sensing and facial recognition systems to approximately the width of three hair strands. In the future, it is expected that smartphone notches will be eliminated, facial unlocking will be more energy-efficient, and real technological challenges will be addressed.


Furthermore, the research also demonstrated the potential applications of effective small-scale, low-power imaging solutions in areas such as facial recognition, robotics, augmented reality, and mixed reality.


HHRI stated that the era of spatial computing has arrived. The future demand for depth sensing systems is expected to significantly increase compared to the common facial depth perception and recognition unlocking seen in today's smartphones. The system developed at this time is expected to become mainstream.


Research Achievements Garner High Attention and Global Recognition


The significant research achievement, titled "Metasurface- and PCSEL-Based Structured Light for Monocular Depth Perception and Facial Recognition," was published in the top global journal Nano Letters. It was also selected as the cover story for the February issue. Furthermore, it was chosen as a highlighted topic by the American Chemical Society (ACS) in February and featured in a spotlight news interview. These recognitions highlight the considerable attention and praise garnered by this achievement, marking a significant advancement in facial recognition technology.


Corresponding patent applications have been granted in Taiwan and China, with the United States patent application currently in progress. The successful outcome of this significant research underscores NYCU's leading position in technological innovation and injects new momentum into the development of Taiwan's technology industry.


This research was supported by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., the Forward-looking Cooperation Project of the National Science and Technology Commission (Principal Investigator: Prof. Edward Yi Chang, Chair Professor of the International Semiconductor Industry College at NYCU; Co-Principal Investigators: Prof. Tien-Chang Lu, Chair Professor of the Department of Photonics at NYCU, and Prof. Chun-Hsiung Lin, International Semiconductor Industry College at NYCU), and the Ministry of Education under the Yushan Young Scholar Program.


The research team members include Assistant Professor Yao-Wei Huang (back row, left), Dr. Yu-Heng Hong (back row, right), and the first author, PhD candidate Wen-Cheng Hsu.


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