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Sony

Sony Boosts 3D Camera Output After Interest From Phone Makers (bloomberg.com) 56

Posted by msmash from the shape-of-things-to-come dept.
Sony, the biggest maker of camera chips used in smartphones, is boosting production of next-generation 3D sensors after getting interest from customers including Apple. From a report: The chips will power front- and rear-facing 3D cameras of models from several smartphone makers in 2019, with Sony kicking off mass production in late summer to meet demand, according to Satoshi Yoshihara, head of Sony's sensor division. Sony's bullish outlook for 3D cameras provides much needed optimism to the global smartphone industry, which is suffering a slowdown as consumers find fewer reasons to upgrade devices. The Tokyo-based company has started providing software toolkits to outside developers so they can experiment with the chips and create apps that generate models of faces for communication or virtual objects for online shopping. "Cameras revolutionized phones, and based on what I've seen, I have the same expectation for 3D," said Yoshihara, who has worked for more than a decade on wider industry adoption of cameras in smartphones. "The pace will vary by field, but we're definitely going to see adoption of 3D. I'm certain of it."
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Sony Boosts 3D Camera Output After Interest From Phone Makers More

Sony Boosts 3D Camera Output After Interest From Phone Makers

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  • Consumer demand? (Score:3)

    by alvinrod ( 889928 ) on Monday December 31, 2018 @01:13PM (#57884456)
    I know that phone manufacturers are adding this so that they've got some new gimmick to sell, but is there any consumer demand for this? I honestly wasn't even aware that this was something that phones could do, and I'm not particular sure that I care.

    Does anyone with a newer device use this and if so, for what?

    • Oh good the first "I don't need it so no one needs it" post.

      I owned an Evo 3D and liked it a lot. I also have a VR headset. I'm the target market for this. Note: the Evo 3D did not require any hardware to view in 3D on the device.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Desler ( 1608317 )

        Considering how 3DTVs failed spectacularly and VR is a niche market within a niche market, it's hardly just them who don't want or need either. The vast majority of consumers have said no thanks.

      • >"I owned an Evo 3D and liked it a lot. I also have a VR headset. I'm the target market for this. Note: the Evo 3D did not require any hardware to view in 3D on the device."

        I, too, had a 3D Evo. It was neat how it worked, especially with the no-glasses-needed-screen. But for my own uses, I thought it was more of a novelty than something useful. Please keep in mind that I very much enjoy 3D- I have lots of 3D blurays and a 3D TV, and go to 3D movies in the theater. When done right, it can add another

      • I'm not saying that I don't need it and therefore no one does. I even said I wasn't aware that phones had this capability. Maybe this is something that I do need or at least might want. I just can't envision what this technology might be useful for and was asking if anyone was using this or had some particular use case in mind.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dfghjk ( 711126 )

      "I honestly wasn't even aware that this was something that phones could do, and I'm not particular sure that I care."

      Well, first, it's not phones, it's cameras. It's something cameras "can do".

      Furthermore, it's not something you need to be aware of for it to matter nor does anyone care that you care.

      Lastly, it's something that a camera can do in order to make the things that cameras do (that you may care about) better. It's a capability under the covers, not a feature sold directly to the customer.

      So yes,

      • Well, first, it's not phones, it's cameras. It's something cameras "can do".

        No, it's pretty much not. There are way more phones with 3D imaging abilities than standalone cameras.

        The fact they mentioned Apple in the summary is a telling clue as well...

        Lastly, it's something that a camera can do in order to make the things that cameras do (that you may care about) better.

        In what way is this useful for cameras that is helpful?

        Autofocus does not use 3D cameras - it's mostly phase related hardware, or contrast

    • Something can be successful without prior consumer demand for that particular things. If the tech has inherent usefulness then the consumers will begin to demand it once they become aware of it.
    • Capturing a 3D field image allows you to reconstruct the photo after it's shot. Do you want a slightly different angle? Focus on a different subject? Wish the camera had been closer or further away (no it's not the same thing as zooming)? The only way to do those things with a 2D camera is to go back to the location and try to recreate the scene so you can re-shoot it. With a 3D camera image, you can correct these errors by recreating it computationally.

      I agree that viewing photos in 3D is gimmicky.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Misagon ( 1135 )

        This isn't a light-field camera but a depth-sensing camera combined with a regular camera.
        Some useful uses of this type of camera include:
        * Unlocking the phone with the shape of your face
        * Filtering out the background in video-calls.

        For these a lightfield camera would be overkill. But yes, you could say that most other uses are gimmicky at the moment.

    • Over pricing the 3D content and making it difficult or impossible to get 3D versions of new releases may be the big issue.
      I have an active and a passive 3D TV, both are excellent performers for the 2D content that is provided.
      I was an early adopter, I started with a Nimslo 3D film camera, I also have the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3, and the GoPro 3D Hero System which was a bit of a drag when helmet mounted and travelling at freeway speeds, and a very nice Dell laptop with an active 3D screen.
      The negatives:
      A

  • Plenty of VR headsets and glasses have been sold, many of those people want to be able to see their own content in 3d.

    It's not a majority market. But I enjoy the clarity 3d gives. There's more context to know what is where in the image.

  • We just had the 3D movie and tv fad disappear a few years ago, and now they want to bring it back? I expect new 2019 Pogs and Fidget Spinners to come out too.

    • We just had the 3D movie and tv fad disappear a few years ago

      Huh? It disappeared? *goes to check local movie site*, nope still there, only a few crappy 2D sessions at odd hours of the day and everything else still 3D.

      I guess you're talking about home 3D, which was frigging stupid and never worked well.

  • And I can tell you that while the output is nice, the extra cost for film is not something most consumers would pay for.

    I doubt that the extra cost for display technology that does not involve special glasses would be worth it for a digital version. No way would anyone want to wear glasses to see the picture properly.

    That said, the basic idea is two pictures taken from a slightly different angle. That alone does have some advantages, including greater definition from a single picture, especially if you us

  • If we can just get people to equate 3D/VR/AR with P0RN we can stop this silliness.

    • The way I see it porn is the only thing keeping the VR scene alive. It's having the opposite effect of killing it.

  • Note that 3D sensors are not used only to produce traditional 3D scenes. They are quite useful for biometric authentication and DOF tricks (add blurry background to pictures).
    • Those are some of the things they are currently used for. I would like to see more innovative things like using 3-D mosaicking to scan objects into games, or for 3-D printing. These cameras becoming cheap is also a major boost to cheap robust robotics applicarions as well like Simultaneous Localization And Mapping.

  • I followed TFA and it's reference article after reading the description above, knowing that Apple does not discuss it's plans with suppliers.
    Slashdot:

    boosting production of next-generation 3D sensors after getting interest from customers including Apple

    TFA:

    Apple is likely to adopt Sony's TOF sensors for future devices, according to Yusuke Toyoda, a sensors analyst at Fuji Chimera Research Inc.

    A research company's expectation is not the same thing as "getting interest from Apple".

  • More gimmicks is all you get from smartphone companies these days. Notches, no notches, pretty colors, more camera lenses, smaller batteries slim & sexy, no bezels, higher prices. 3D? Really? Thought that went out of style in the 50's, then the 90's?

  • The RED Phone supposedly has a really-cool next-gen holographic display that requires no glasses, and works at any orientation/angle (unlike say the 3DS). If that tech somehow takes off, then 3d photos might make sense (the phone comes with a 3d camera IIRC). Otherwise, noone's gonna put on a VR headset to look at still photos. Once AR displays become commonly used, then I could see people looking at 3d photos more frequently, but that's probably not going to happen until Apple releases something.

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