L’ATTITUDE Ventures showcased Omnitron Sensors as one its most promising portfolio companies at the L’ATTITUDE 2024 event. Founded in 2018 by international business executive Sol Trujillo and NAHREP Co-Founder & CEO Gary Acosta, L’ATTITUDE celebrates the remarkable Latinx cohort who are forging the future as part of The New Mainstream Economy.
Omnitron Sensors CEO and Co-founder Eric Aguilar took the mainstage during the panel, The Road to Unicorn Status: A L’ATTITUDE Ventures Spotlight, where he joined two other successful Latinx entrepreneurs, Sandra Lilia Velasquez, CEO & founder of Nopalera, and Alejo Vélez Ramírez, co-founder & co-CEO of Back to the Roots, as well as moderator Sol Trujillo, co-founder of L’ATTITUDE Ventures.
As part of the Spotlight, Eric shared insights into what makes a top-performing portfolio company. In Omnitron’s case, it’s creating a transformative approach to developing and manufacturing MEMS sensors, an advancement that will accelerate the mass production of new smart micro-scale chips that are integral to billions of products.
Humans and MEMS sensors have a lot in common. As humans, we rely on a multitude of biological senses to understand the world. We have eyes to see, ears to hear, and skin to experience touch. In the same way, robots need a multitude of MEMS sensors to navigate their environment effectively. Just as we use our eyes and hands to delicately handle a flower without crushing it, robots need multimode sensing for precise operation. The quality of the sensors themselves is part of the equation; the AI that integrates with the sensors is equally vital.
This brings us to the importance of data. Large volumes of high-quality data allow AI to make accurate predictions and function reliably. Yet this massive influx of data can create serious performance problems (resulting from latency issues) — while simultaneously consuming vast amounts of processing power.
Here’s where Omnitron comes in. Its sensing technology addresses latency and enables real-time AI efficiently and effectively. And soon, Omnitron’s customers will be able to use its first product, the most powerful MEMS mirror on the market, to address the processing-power bottleneck in AI systems. This makes Omnitron’s MEMS mirror the key enabler in allowing AI systems to build more efficient neural networks.
With its prototype MEMS mirror, Omnitron Sensors has already secured interest from major manufacturers and systems integrators in the autonomous vehicles and energy markets, proving the demand for this technology. Omnitron’s mirror also opens new doors to tackling AI challenges, expanding its market potential to the optical cross-connects used to accelerate AI workflow in data centers.
The steadfast support of L’ATTITUDE Ventures has been integral to Omnitron’s growth “Our relationship with L’ATTITUDE Ventures has opened doors to which we wouldn’t have had access otherwise,” said Eric Aguilar. “They recognized Omnitron Sensors as Latino Startup of the Year in 2021, awarding us a $1.6M bridge seed-round investment, and they’ve continued to invest in our business on a variety of levels. We look forward to a future of collaboration.”
About L’ATTITUDE 2024
L’ATTITUDE 2024 is the largest business event in the country focused on The New Mainstream Economy, helping forward-thinking executives and business leaders to understand the US Latino cohort that is driving its growth. Stats from last year’s event showed that the US Latinx cohort is generating $3.2 trillion in GDP, is growing its economic output at a pace that makes it the third fastest-growing economy in the world, and accounts for nearly one-quarter of the United States’ entire GDP growth. Omnitron Sensors is excited to be part of this event, and values L’ATTITUDE’s support and commitment to the company’s vision.
Shipping by the hundreds of millions, MEMS devices are integral to our daily lives. Given the miniature size, low power and intelligent sensing capabilities of MEMS, it’s no surprise that microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices are found in every imaginable electronic product, from smartphones and cars to medical devices, environmental sensors and security systems. But there’s one pain point that has limited even greater growth of MEMS: Traditional MEMS manufacturing is inefficient, complex and costly.
Omnitron Sensors is changing the nature of MEMS manufacturing. Guided by a trio of industry experts, Omnitron is offering the first major manufacturing-level improvement to MEMS in over a decade. Omnitron calls it “a new topology for MEMS.”
Challenging established standards and assumptions around MEMS manufacturing processes, Omnitron’s new topology for MEMS simplifies system assembly and packaging, enhancing device performance and accelerating production for cost-sensitive, high-volume markets.
With such a new approach to MEMS manufacturing, how did Omnitron Sensors come to be?
CEO & Co-founder Eric Aguilar, CTO & Co-founder Trent Huang and VP of Business Development Curtis Ray found one another in the field of advanced sensors. Eric and Trent met at Lumedyne Technologies, where they played leadership roles and helped to prepare the company for its acquisition by Google for $85M. Post-acquisition, they both stayed on with Google and ended up working on different projects — Eric as lead in avionics on Google’s Project Wing (later X, the moonshot factory) and Trent as lead technologist in quantum computing and in MEMS hardware. The two tech visionaries kept in touch as their careers progressed. And in February 2019, they co-founded Omnitron Sensors to realize the core IP that would change MEMS manufacturing as we know it.
Meanwhile, Curtis had been working in the industry since 1984, even before it was called MEMS. As both a thought leader in MEMS and a serial entrepreneur, Curtis found himself intrigued when an investor approached him to conduct due diligence on Omnitron Sensors. Impressed by Omnitron’s realization of a large step-scanning MEMS mirror that could be fabricated in volume by a commercial MEMS foundry— and fully aware of the transformative potential of the MEMS topology on which the mirror was based — Curtis joined the company to lead business development.
We interviewed Eric, Trent and Curtis about innovation in the MEMS industry and gathered their insights on Omnitron’s potential to transform MEMS manufacturing.
Question 1: Can you describe what Omnitron Sensors does at the 50,000-foot level?
Curtis: Omnitron is advancing the field of MEMS by combining bulk micromachining, surface micromachining, and SOI (Silicon on Insulator) techniques. Bulk micromachining involves creating grooves and other structures, often using DRIE (Deep Reactive Ion Etching). Surface micromachining uses layers of polysilicon and oxides to build thin, planar structures. While traditionally used for specific applications such as safety mechanisms in nuclear bombs, surface micromachining isn’t affected by electromagnetic pulses. At Omnitron we’re pioneering a hybrid approach that combines SOI and surface micromachining, creating a top layer that can move in and out of structures. This allows for versatile three-dimensional polysilicon structures for sensors and actuators.
Eric: As a result of this core IP for MEMS manufacturing processes, we’ve developed the first MEMS mirror that aligns to a LiDAR’s sub-micron-level tolerances without constant recalibration — and which is priced for cars instead of billion-dollar satellites. This has attracted the attention of Tier 1 automotive suppliers. With the capital in hand to manufacture our MEMS mirror and with Silex as our proven high-volume foundry partner, we’ve cleared the way to satisfy future demand from LiDAR suppliers.
That’s not to say we’re limiting ourselves to LiDAR. We’ve demonstrated broad applicability for our topology in diverse markets, including augmented reality, AI workflow, image stabilization, and laser spectrometry for toxic gas detection.
Question 2: What are the most exciting developments in MEMS that you’ve seen in the last decade?
Curtis: Until Omnitron, I haven’t seen much new for over 10 years. Omnitron’s actuator and capacitive sensors operate differently: instead of just using plates, we create deep trenches. The plates move in and out of the plane, increasing capacitance as they move farther out. Noise is a common issue in sensors, but our design minimizes stray capacitance. To meet our technical requirements, we flipped both the actuator and sensor. The mirror is actuated within a closed-loop system, consisting of a reflective silicon disk with actuators and sensors between the base and the mirror. The actuator moves the mirror, and the sensor precisely measures the movement. This same sensor and actuator setup can also be applied to microfluidics.
Trent: The implementation of the piezoelectric (PZT) process is a significant advancement because it opens new ways to activate devices and systems. Yet it’s only been in the past decade that PZT has been qualified as a MEMS technique. The main challenge now lies in qualifying PZT for the rigors of automotive.
Question 3: What are your hopes for the Omnitron Sensors?
Trent: I hope our technology revitalizes the MEMS industry and enhances R&D in education as well. The potential of sensor integration in our world is still largely untapped, far beyond what we currently see. As AI becomes more prevalent, it’s clear that we need reliable hardware to integrate sensors into our daily lives. The Internet of Things (IoT) has been a promising concept, but producing affordable and reliable sensors has been challenging. Small sensors often drift, but our technology aims to solve these problems and make widespread sensor use a reality.
Eric: At Omnitron Sensors, we aim to revolutionize robotics by advancing sensors that enable real-world operation. By disrupting the MEMS market with our new topology, we are not only driving innovation but also fostering an environment where major steps can be taken in chip technology. Our goal is to unlock future innovations in fields that are beyond current imagination
Meet our Leadership Team
Eric Aguilar, co-founder and CEO, is an award-winning entrepreneur and visionary leader in the field of advanced sensor systems for complex systems such as robotics and autonomous platforms. His expertise includes leading teams at renowned companies such as Tesla, where he managed a crew of 300 engineers on the firmware for Model 3, and at X (the moonshot factory), where he spearheaded the development of Google Project Wing, an autonomous drone delivery service.
Eric’s leadership roles at Argo AI and at Lumedyne Technologies (acquired by Google) underscore his impact on the industry. Earlier in his career, Eric did pioneering work in building sensors for drones at US Navy Research Labs.
With a BS in Electrical Engineering from California State Polytechnic University and advanced studies at the University of Southern California, Eric continues to shape the future of sensor technology.
Dr. Trent Huang, co-founder and CTO, brings extensive experience in optical, microwave, micro-/nano-fluidic, and biological MEMS sensors, actuators, and microfabrication to Omnitron Sensors, where he leads the company’s technology teams to drive organizational growth.
Trent holds numerous patents, and his expertise in theories, applications and productization of micro-/nano-systems has consistently delivered transformative solutions that allow Omnitron to break through the barriers of MEMS manufacturing. With a strong track record of leveraging emerging technologies to solve complex business challenges, he thrives in dynamic environments where creativity and agility are paramount.
Prior to Omnitron, Trent led teams of scientists and engineers at Google in the areas of quantum computing, and in MEMS hardware and system technologies for Android products. Trent has held leadership positions in MEMS engineering at Lumedyne Technologies (which Google acquired during his tenure) and at Tessera Technologies. His professional experience also spans bio-compatible MEMS, molecular nanotechnology, and optical technologies.
Trent earned a BS in Physics at the University of Science & Technology of China, an MA in Physics at the University of Virginia, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University.
Curtis Ray, head of business development, cultivates relationships with employees, customers and advisors who are driven to change the world through life-enhancing technology.
Considered one of the early thought leaders in MEMS technology, Curtis’s expansive career includes developing and selling a MEMS foundry, and launching MEMS sensors, micro-opto-electromechanical (MOEMS) mirrors, and multiwavelength optical transceivers to commercial markets.
With 31 patents, and four companies built and sold under his belt, Curtis possesses that unique combination of technical excellence and business acumen that are vital to a startup’s success. Curtis has dedicated a significant part of his career to guiding aspiring engineers and entrepreneurs, evident in his long-term involvement with First Robotics.
Curtis earned a BSME from Purdue University and an MBA from Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley.
Together, Eric, Trent and Curtis are at the forefront of sensor innovation, each bringing unique expertise and vision to Omnitron Sensors. Their collective efforts are unlocking the full potential of MEMS to add intelligence to the electronic products in our lives.
LiDAR’s potential to transform autonomous systems is massive—yet technical shortcomings in its optical subsystems have delayed its widespread acceptance. That’s about to change. Tech Briefs Editor Ed Brown interviewed Eric Aguilar, CEO of Omnitron Sensors, about the ways in which Omnitron’s new step-scanning MEMS mirror is enhancing LiDAR’s capabilities while bringing LiDAR in line with BOM costs for robotic systems. Read the article.
Omnitron Co-founder & CEO Eric Aguilar recently spoke with Tech Briefs about the role of MEMS step-scanning mirrors in solving performance, price and reliability issues with LiDAR used in autonomous systems. Eric shared some key perspectives on the topic. Scroll to the end of the post for a link to his Q&A with Tech Briefs Editor Ed Brown.
LiDAR’s potential to transform autonomous systems is massive — yet technical shortcomings in its optical subsystems have delayed its widespread acceptance. We’ll delve into the pivotal role of how a step-scanning MEMS mirror is enhancing LiDAR’s capabilities while bringing LiDAR in line with BOM costs for robotic systems.
Where is LiDAR Today?
The tech sector invested an astonishing $2.6B in LiDAR in 2021 and billions in prior years, says the research firm Yole Intelligence, part of Yole Group. But investment plunged to $184M as of July 2022. And by 2032, just 10% of all cars are expected to include LiDAR. Why such a small percentage?
It may seem incongruous, but LiDAR — which stands for light detection and ranging — is still growing at a healthy pace. For the automotive market alone, Yole predicts it will reach $4.5B in 2028, encompassing both passenger cars (PCs) and light commercial vehicles (LCVs). This revenue figure represents a whopping 55% CAGR from 2023, according to Yole.(1)
IDTechEx is even more optimistic in their predictions. A recent IDTechEx report projects that the LiDAR market for automotive will reach $9.5B by 2034.(2)
What’s amazing is that LiDAR is growing despite all of its warts. If it were properly realized, LiDAR would be everywhere by now, providing the real-time 3D vision that’s essential to wide-ranging applications, from automotive advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), robotic cars, and drones to industrial robotics and augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) applications. Except for the most expensive applications, including satellites, aircraft/spacecraft, and topographical exploration, LiDAR has come up short. But that’s about to change.
Comparing LiDAR, Cameras, and Radar
Although it’s been around for decades, LiDAR’s implementation lags far behind more mature vision technologies such as cameras and radar. Yet LiDAR is worth our attention. Cameras lack depth, which is essential for robots to understand their environment. And they can’t see at night, which slashes their efficacy. Radar also has its limits. First and foremost, it lacks resolution, which means that it can’t differentiate a car from a person. Yet, radar is especially valuable in bad weather because it will continue to function, while LIDAR can be affected adversely by rain or snow.
Complementing both cameras and radar, LiDAR offers its own unique attributes. It provides depth information and functions seamlessly at all levels of light because it uses an active light source. It also delivers excellent resolution, so it can perceive both moving and stationary objects. Together, cameras, radar, and LiDAR provide the core technologies for autonomous-navigation systems, whether those systems are in a car, a delivery drone, or a robot on the factory floor.
Historically speaking, LiDAR’s main pain point has been its cost. That’s because it’s a complex technology that requires great precision in terms of alignment and calibration. In addition, the automotive environment is notoriously tough in terms of vibration and temperature fluctuations that can cause continuous expansion and contraction of the optical system.
Meeting the Requirements with a Step-Scanning MEMS Mirror
Automotive manufacturers need small, sleek, affordable step-scanning mirrors that fit in a car’s roofline—and that are robust enough to handle high vibration as well as temperature variation. A new generation of MEMS mirrors that are about the size of a dime are large enough, at 15mm in diameter, to move the tens of degrees needed for a wide field of view. This MEMS mirror also performs step-scanning, so it meets the performance demands of the automotive environment. Plus, this new device has a very powerful silicon motor behind it, so it’s fast enough for long-range LiDAR.
Our approach to achieving precise and reliable step scanning in our MEMS mirror is threefold, including: a high-performance motor, an in-situ feedback mechanism, and a robust control system. By integrating these three key elements, we provide a step-scanning MEMS mirror solution that offers high precision, speed, and reliability, making it suitable for a wide range of applications where accuracy and rapid response are paramount.
Achieving a step-scanning MEMS mirror that meets all the requirements of LiDAR has been no mean feat. We know because we’re doing it. To make it work, we’ve developed a new topology for MEMS, which features the rearrangement of silicon process steps and a new packaging method. The result of our foundational work is a MEMS step-scanning mirror that’s robust and reliable, and low-cost in mass-produced volumes. It is, in short, a MEMS mirror that will solve the most serious problems with LiDAR, driving autonomous navigation systems to a whole new level.
We are currently in the process of commercializing our MEMS mirror through fabrication with our foundry partner. We’re also engaging with automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers who are excited at the prospect of a large, robust, low-cost step-scanning MEMS mirror that will meet the most rigorous demands of LIDAR in autonomous navigation.
