Vieworks expands imaging technology into aerospace

Vieworks, an industrial machine vision company, is pushing into the aerospace sector through its subsidiary, developing image sensors for artificial satellites based on hybrid TDI technology.

Sensohub, the subsidiary led by CEO Nam Jeong-hyeon, has launched a project to domestically develop image sensors for artificial satellites, Vieworks said Monday.

The sensors feature hybrid TDI (Time Delayed Integration) technology, which fuses CCD (charge-coupled device) and CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) technology on a single semiconductor. TDI overcomes the limitations of linear sensors widely used in manufacturing automation by repeatedly exposing and accumulating images of a moving subject, amplifying the signal and improving accuracy.

When used in satellites orbiting Earth at high speed, the technology delivers a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), enabling sharp imagery. Sensohub's hybrid TDI technology was first commercialized worldwide in 2016 through Vieworks' industrial camera VTDI series. It is currently used in machine vision equipment for semiconductor and display inspection that demands high performance and reliability.

In December 2021, Sensohub worked with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to become the first in South Korea to develop a monochrome TDI sensor for space use, obtaining space-grade reliability qualification model (QM) certification. The achievement secured foundational image sensor technology capable of long-term operation aboard low-orbit satellites. Sensohub is now developing a model applying BSI (Back-Side Illumination) processing for improved sensitivity and plans to complete the same certification by year-end.

In January, the Korea AeroSpace Administration designated Sensohub's space-grade TDI sensor technology as a "First-Class Space New Technology," making the company eligible for commercialization support. In March, Sensohub signed a joint research agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to develop a hybrid TDI sensor module and controller for Earth observation satellites. The two companies plan to develop TDI sensors compatible with mid-sized satellites, targeting both import substitution and exports.

In May, Sensohub joined the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute for a joint exhibition at the 11th CubeSat Workshop in Busan. The institute has adopted Sensohub's space-grade monochrome TDI sensor as an electro-optical sensor for a cube-class formation satellite currently under development.

"The image sensor market — a core component of observation satellites — is dominated by foreign products," a Sensohub official said. "We will achieve technological self-reliance based on our proven imaging technology and contribute to the advancement of the aerospace industry."