Events

See the world in true colors: the first smartphone with multispectral imaging camera makes its global debut at CES

Las Vegas, January 8, 2024 — Spectricity, the multispectral imaging solution provider for high-volume and mobile devices, is showcasing its ground-breaking color-matching technology by integrating the first multispectral camera in a smartphone enabling ‘true colors’ on smartphone photos.

• Spectricity has integrated the first multispectral camera in a smartphone

Most of us have been disappointed for some time with our smartphone’s inability to replicate the colors we see, whether in a less-than-perfect picture of an amazing sunset, a poor skin tone, or a mismatched paint sample in the DIY store. This is because smartphones are, in essence, color-blind. They are unable to measure color accurately, due to faulty automatic white balancing that wrongly estimates the white point. These hopelessly random colors will be a thing of the past thanks to Spectricity's multispectral camera.

• True colors all the time, more accurate than the naked eye

Spectricity’s crucial breakthrough has been in its revolutionary “S1” multispectral camera which provides the information necessary for accurate color reproduction. It measures the spectrum of light at 16 wavelengths, in every pixel of the camera. This results in a better white point assessment, which in turn delivers true consistent colors. The camera can also assess colors more accurately than the naked eye giving a true color representation of everything from paint to skin tone. This spectral camera ends all guesswork: colors on smartphone photos will now be true to reality.

• Ready for global breakthrough: this camera can be in any smartphone within 2 years

The delivery of consistent color is an issue recognized and acknowledged in the industry. With photography and camera capability being major drivers for smartphone upgrades, Spectricity’s innovation, which could be in every smartphone within two years, has created a great deal of interest. Currently being tested by almost every major smartphone manufacturer, it is set to have a significant commercial impact on the consumer devices industry.

Its application extends beyond mere aesthetics and far into e-commerce, as the development will allow more accurate assessment of the color of online purchases as well as true skin tone and foundation matching, virtual make-up try-on, accurate lipstick, hair dye matching, and expert advice from your phone.

Furthermore, the application of Spectricity's camera offers far-reaching possibilities in the medical field: for example, online tracking of diseases and providing advice in the area of health and well-being can be improved with it.

Vincent Mouret, CEO of Spectricity, comments: “This camera brings unprecedented color accuracy from laboratory instruments to phones. In most cases, the detected color cannot be distinguished from the true color with the naked eye. Finally, your pictures can be color-consistent, and you can measure and save the true color of objects or skin with your phone. This opens the door to e-commerce for remote personalized cosmetic and retail use cases.”

Jonathan Borremans, CTO of Spectricity adds: “Every smartphone vendor confirms the problem and is struggling to solve the issue. Spectricity is in pole position to deliver the technology to solve the issue. By 2026 these spectral cameras are expected to become mainstream in every phone, as predicted by Yole Development."

Yole Development is a leading market research, technology, and strategy analysis company.

About Spectricity

Spectricity was incorporated in 2018 and is backed by international VCs to bring spectral imaging to mobile devices. With 35 employees, Spectricity has offices in Belgium, the USA, Taipei, Shanghai and Malaysia.

The S1 is currently under evaluation by major smartphone makers. EVKs are available for device manufacturers driving large volumes.

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by Jonathan Borremans

Spectricity introduces true colors with the S1-M camera module for mobile devices

Barcelona, ESP, February 27, 2023 – After introducing the S1, the first sensor to deliver true color through a smartphone camera, Spectricity is now launching a miniature camera module using this cutting-edge technology. This first miniature, mobile device-ready multispectral image sensor, was introduced as a groundbreaking new technology at CES last month. The technology is expected to be adopted in all smartphones coming years.
The new camera module, announced at MWC in Barcelona, integrates the S1 image sensor with an optimized custom miniature lens for spectral imaging in a compact module. The camera module is compatible with mobile devices and smartphone integration thanks to its truly miniature form factor.

Spectricity also announces a partnership with high-volume camera module manufacturer Namuga. Tae Youn Won, the CEO of Namuga says: “We are very excited to work with Spectricity to develop and manufacture the next-level camera module with the S1 sensor. One can’t imagine modern personal life today without sharing daily content. Now, this can be taken to a next level with Spectricity’s improvement in color fidelity combined with Namuga’s experience in manufacturing and module development.”

Spectricity is delighted to partner with Namuga says Vincent Mouret, CEO of Spectricity: “We are excited to work with Namuga’s experienced team for this high-volume product. A high-volume camera module is essential for mobile device integration. We expect the first smartphone models with the S1 to be released as soon as in 2024 and all smartphones to include our technology within the coming years.”

The smartphone camera will no longer be colorblind

The S1 spectral image sensor solves color fidelity issues of smartphone cameras and can measure true color through the spectral signature of an object.

The S1 was recognized as a technology breakthrough at the recent edition of CES: it’s the first truly miniaturized, mass-manufacturable mobile spectral image sensor. At the same time, it captures the full visible and near-infrared range at video rates, required for mobile applications. It’s suited as a companion sensor to the main cameras in a smartphone.

Jonathan Borremans, CTO: “The S1-M camera module marks another phenomenal advance over any multispectral camera on the market. No one to date has managed to fit these specs into a miniature module. The S1-M can be integrated into any mobile device.”

Spectral imaging will fix the poor camera color fidelity of smartphones and consumer devices. Despite all advances in image sensor and camera technology, smartphones still cannot capture true color as they are limited by 3 color channels: red, green, and blue.

Jonathan Borremans: “Essentially, even your high-end smartphone camera is color blind. The S1 uses richer spectral signature data, resulting in much higher color fidelity in your pictures. We’re confident that spectral imaging will become essential in all devices including a camera.”

As part of the smartphone camera of the future, the S1 spectral camera sensor will drive innovation in consumer devices in personalized cosmetics, health and wellness, e-commerce, smart gardening, and authentication.

About Spectricity
Spectricity was incorporated in 2018 and is backed by international VCs to bring spectral imaging to mobile devices. Spectricity has offices in Belgium, the USA, Taipei, and Malaysia.

The S1 is currently under evaluation by major smartphone makers. EVKs are available for device manufacturers driving large volumes.

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by Jonathan Borremans

World premiere at CES: Spectricity spectral camera brings true colors to smartphone photos

Las Vegas, January 5, 2023 — At CES 2023, Spectricity introduces the S1, the first miniature, mobile device-ready multispectral image sensor. The first smartphones using the sensor are expected by 2024. Within two years, this technology is expected to be in all smartphones.

The S1 spectral image sensor solves color fidelity issues of smartphone cameras, and can measure true color through the spectral signature of an object.

The S1 is a technology breakthrough: it’s the first truly miniaturized, mass-manufacturable mobile spectral image sensor. At the same time, it captures the full visible and near-infrared range at video rates, required for mobile applications. It’s well suited as a companion sensor to the main cameras in a smartphone.

Jonathan Borremans, CTO Spectricity: "The S1 marks a phenomenal advance over any multispectral imager on the market. No one to date has managed to fit these specs into a miniature chip. The S1 can be integrated into any mobile device."

Currently, Spectricity is sampling the S1 to several smartphone manufacturers to be included in upcoming models.

Vincent Mouret, CEO: "’We are excited to announce this breakthrough; the first ever affordable mobile spectral imager. The release is a key milestone for Spectricity in its ambition to serve smartphone markets, and to pursue our mission to enable mass adoption of spectral sensing in mobile devices. We expect the first smartphone models with the S1 to be released in 2024, and we expect all smartphones to include our technology within the coming years."

"RGB": how spectral imaging brings true colors to smartphones

Spectral imaging will fix poor camera color fidelity of smartphones and consumer devices, a root cause for inaccurate photo colors but also poorly rendered skin colors. This will make camera technology more reliable and more inclusive.

Despite all advances in image sensor and camera technology, smartphones still cannot capture true color. Limited by 3 color channels ("RGB" or red, green, blue), the automatic white balancing (AWB) algorithms often struggle to accurately resolve the white point of a scene correctly. Consequently, they can fail to get the colors right.

Jonathan Borremans, CTO: “Essentially, even your high-end smartphone camera is color blind. The S1 uses richer spectral signature data, resulting in much higher color fidelity in your pictures. We're confident that spectral imaging will become an essential component in all devices that include a camera."

The smartphone camera of the future: The S1 will drive innovation in consumer devices

The S1 will have a significant commercial impact in the consumer devices industry:

• Research shows that photography and camera capability are major drivers for smartphone upgrades
• Personalized cosmetics are already a 40 billion dollar market. Spectral imaging will drive a transition from retail to home, and expert advice from your mobile device, adoption and customer satisfaction in this category.
• Medical applications and use cases will be unlocked with spectral imaging
• E-commerce: better color rendering will support online commerce
• New applications and use cases become possible for authentication (face ID) and even smart gardening

About Spectricity

Spectricity was incorporated in 2018 and is backed by international VCs to bring spectral imaging to mobile devices. With 35 employees, Spectricity has offices in Belgium, the USA, Taipei and Malaysia.

The S1 is currently under evaluation by major smartphone makers. As of January 2023, EVKs are available for device manufacturers driving large volumes.

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by Jonathan Borremans