A significant technological breakthrough has been achieved in the fields of artificial intelligence and high-speed imaging, as global company AIStorm and Israeli company Tower Semiconductor announced the launch of the Cheetah HS – a revolutionary imaging sensor capable of capturing up to 260,000 frames per second. This new speed is 2,000 to 4,000 times faster than conventional CMOS sensors, representing a major leap in advanced imaging.
The new product is a high-speed imaging sensor with a resolution of 120×80 pixels and integrated AI capabilities in the first layer. The technology is based on Tower Semiconductor’s unique charge-domain imaging platform, leveraged by AIStorm’s analog neurons. This combination results in dramatic reductions in energy requirements and raw material costs.
The commercial applications of this new technology span multiple industries. Key uses include advanced robotics systems, drones, vibration detection and structural monitoring, high-speed security and surveillance systems, industrial production and assembly lines, barcode scanners, PCB inspection equipment, biometric recognition systems, vehicle speed detectors, and even golf swing analysis systems.
David Shay, CEO of AIStorm, explained the commercial significance: "Many consumer and industrial applications require slow-motion analysis of real-time events to evaluate performance or detect anomalies. Such solutions used to be extremely expensive, and our Cheetah HS solution makes them accessible to a wide range of markets." He added, "Tower is a global leader in charge-domain pixels with a global shutter, making it the ideal partner for developing breakthrough products."
Dr. Avi Shtrum, Senior VP and General Manager of the Sensors and Displays Unit at Tower Semiconductor, expressed satisfaction with the collaboration: "We are pleased to see the fruits of our long-term partnership with AIStorm in this pioneering platform of embedded analog AI technology." According to him, "The inherent advantages – low energy consumption, low cost, and high performance – will enable the development of an accessible product family at high production volumes."
From a technological perspective, the Cheetah HS offers several key advantages: Adjustable frame rates up to 260,000 frames per second, an integrated LED driver programmable up to 40 milliamps, improved low-light performance, and an integrated neuron layer outputting spike trains for further processing. The product provides a significant cost advantage over competitors, reduces processing costs, and enables capturing fast events for slow-motion analysis.
The new technological principle fundamentally differs from traditional approaches. Instead of using expensive high-speed data converters like conventional high-speed cameras, the charge-domain architecture of Cheetah HS converts photons directly into electric charge, computes the first layer of the neural network analogically, and outputs spike trains for further processing. The system is flexible, allowing adjustment of capture rates according to needs – lower frame rates for processing cost savings, or higher frame rates for precise measurements.
The product is available immediately, both as a standalone electronic component and as part of complete reference camera systems. The launch marks a significant step in the development of advanced imaging technologies with embedded AI, placing both companies at the forefront of technological innovation in this field.