Namuga Selects Lumotive to Build Next-Gen 3D Sensing Solutions

SEATTLE, July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Optical semiconductor pioneer Lumotive announced today that it has entered a commercial agreement with camera module specialist Namuga, which will leverage Lumotive's Light Control Metasurface (LCM™) chipsets to develop solid-state lidar module solutions for a range of 3D sensing applications in the industrial, consumer and automotive markets.

Publicly-traded in South Korea, Namuga specializes in the development and production of cameras and 3D sensing modules. These components are integral to a variety of widespread consumer electronics products such as notebooks, smartphones, and smart home automation. As a crucial supplier for Samsung Electronics' flagship smartphones, including the Galaxy S23, Namuga also provides diverse capabilities for a range of smart devices such as drones, Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs), and Head-Up Displays (HUDs).

Namuga engaged Lumotive for this supplier agreement to realize the enormous market potential and significant advantages offered by pure solid-state lidar, which is uniquely enabled by Lumotive's LCM digital beam steering technology. Using the transformative power of metamaterials to steer the laser beam without any moving parts, Lumotive's LCM overcomes the size, scalability and reliability limitations of traditional mechanical beam steering systems. Namuga's deep expertise in the miniaturization of sensing modules, combined with the intrinsic advantages of LCM-based beam steering, will enable lidar to expand into new domains of 3D sensing, particularly applications where compactness and weight are crucial. 

Through this partnership, Namuga will leverage Lumotive's LCM products to create a variety of next-generation solid state lidar modules that go beyond robotic automation solutions, extending into additional sectors like services, homecare, and logistics. Lumotive's technology broadens Namuga's capabilities in perceiving surrounding information, enhancing performance and opening avenues into future ventures such as autonomous driving vehicles.

"Lumotive is excited to partner with Namuga, the undeniable industry leader when it comes to sensing camera modules," said Dr. Sam Heidari, CEO of Lumotive. "With our LCM technology, our mission is to catalyze mass accessibility of solid-state lidar by partnering with innovative  sensor makers like Namuga, as we jointly spearhead this transformation. We eagerly anticipate the application of our LCM digital beam steering chipsets in a broad spectrum of use-cases."

"Through this partnership with Lumotive, we will accelerate the development of next-generation lidar technology and secure a technological and manufacturing competitive advantage in the global market," said Tae Youn Won, CEO of Namuga: "Based on Namuga's leading 3D sensing camera technology, we will take the lead in not only the autonomous driving car market, but also the next-generation device technology markets such as robotics, XR, and other innovative technologies."

About Lumotive
Lumotive's award-winning optical semiconductor solutions enable advanced sensing and perception capabilities in next-generation consumer, mobility, and industrial automation products such as mobile devices, autonomous vehicles, and robots.  The company's patented Light Control Metasurface (LCM™) beam steering chips deliver an unparalleled combination of high performance, exceptional reliability, and low cost — all in a tiny, easily integrated solution. Lumotive has received measurable industry acclaim including Fierce Electronics' 2021 Startup of the Year award, two CES 2022 Innovation Awards, a 2022 SPIE PRISM Award, and a prestigious Edison Award. Investors include Gates Frontier, MetaVC Partners, Quan Funds, Samsung Ventures, Uniquest, and USAA.

About Namuga
Namuga is a South Korean manufacturing company specializing in the development and production of compact camera modules used in various fields such as smartphone, automotive, home IoT, and robotics. Namuga has been supplying the company's products to global IT companies through mass manufacturing infrastructure, and high-quality standards. Particularly Namuga is pioneering the next-generation 3D sensing camera module market based on advanced 3D sensing camera module technology.

SOURCE Lumotive