Panasonic — Grid-EYE Infrared Array Sensor

Panasonic has extended its portfolio of Grid-EYE® infrared array sensors with a new wide-angle type that has a 90° field of view (FoV). Like the existing 60° FoV Grid-EYE products, this new surface-mount 90° sensor has a 64-pixel array of IR pixels in an 8×8 configuration. It supplies values for thermal presence, direction, and temperature over a digital I2C interface.

Applications for the Grid-EYE wide-angle IR sensor include:

• Human detection
• People counting
• Thermal mapping
• Digital signage
• Security
• Lighting control
• Kiosks and ATMs
• Medical imaging
• Automatic doors
• Robotics

The Grid-EYE sensors are particularly useful for monitoring or controlling, with the application of appropriate software, the flow or numbers of people in a space, and the distance between them. This is because it can capture non-invasive, low-resolution thermal images of people in such a way that they cannot be individually identified. This protects people’s privacy while enabling accurate people counting and monitoring of footfall.

In a retail store, for instance, the Grid-EYE sensor can be used to detect when the density of shoppers is close to its maximum limit, and to alert the store manager to control footfall. In an office or meeting room, a Grid-EYE sensor-based system can count the occupants and adjust heating and ventilation airflows appropriately.

The Grid-EYE family of sensors is based on Panasonic MEMS thermopile technology. The wide-angle Grid-EYE sensor can be ordered with the part number AMG885543 for a 5.0 V operating voltage, or AMG883543 for a 3.3 V operating voltage.