LIPS Corporation - A Leading Global Provider of Industrial 3D Vision and AI Solutions

3D depth-sensing is a technology that has been getting famous in recent developments. As we move towards the 5G and internet-connected world, we will need a lot of applications that work on 3D vision, Augmented and mixed reality. Founded in 2013 by a group of MIT scholars, LIPS is a pioneer in 3D Sensing & AI technologies and a global leading industrial 3D Sensing Solutions provider. LIPS is the Tier-1 partner with many of the world’s leading technology companies, including Intel, NVIDIA, Panasonic, Toshiba, Texas Instrument, Sony, Melexis, CEVA, and more. We managed to have a word with Luke Liu is the Chairman and CEO of LIPS Corporation, who explains to us more about the company and its vision.

Please tell us the story of LIPS.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, LIPS Corporation is becoming a globally leading 3D AI solution provider. Our product and solutions can perform AI inferences of the 3D depth images to perform industrial & enterprise applications with great speed and accuracy. LIPS designs, builds, and customizes 3D depth cameras with mainstream 3D sensing technologies, including Time-of-Flight (ToF), stereo, and structure light. We also develop 3D AI middleware and applications such as 3D Scanning, 3D Measurement, 3D Skeletal Tracking, 3D Motion Gesture, 3D People Counting, 3D Facial Recognition, and more.

LIPS has also set up LIPSLab to advance our 3D AI knowledge and take our technology practice to a whole new level. Our research areas include Industrial Automation & Safety, Smart City, Smart Logistics, Smart Logistic, and Smartr Healthcare to fulfill our customers’ applications better. Over the years, LIPS has become the trusted 3D AI partner with leading companies worldwide, including BMW, Kyocera, Panasonic, Toshiba, and more. We are also partners with global tech giants such as Intel, NVIDIA, Sony, Texas Instrument, and Samsung.

What are the upsides of utilizing LIPS services?

By utilizing LIPS products and solutions, you are guaranteed Industrial-grade 3D Vision & AI performance with great speed and accuracy as our leading customers such as BMW, Kyocera, and Panasonic. Our continuous product innovation and improvement will provide an edge for our customers’ competitiveness and greater investment return.

Tell us about LIPSLAB projects and their success stories.

LIPSLab is where we push our technology to the 3D AI frontier. At LIPSLab, we are constantly looking for challenges that will advance our 3D AI knowledge and take our technology practice to a whole new level. In LIPSLab, anything is possible. We do not set the boundary of our creativity and imagination. In mid-2019, LIPSLab showcased LIPSMetric Smart Parcel Kiosk with the Intel IoT group in Computex Taipei. Our partner Panasonic immediately reached out to us to commercialize the project. At the end of 2020, we helped Panasonic launch LIPSMetric Smart Parcel Kiosk with Yamato, a Japanese logistic giant with 4,000 locations.

Another success story is the LIPSArm VGR 3D Footwear Automation Solution. LIPSLab showcased the project in Taipei Automation Show in 2018. Immediately several brand sports shoe manufacturers reached out to us to commercialize the project. In 2019, our solutions were already up and running in their satellite factories in Vietnam. In 2020, LIPSArm VGR 3D Footwear Automation Solution won Vision System Design Innovator Award.

How is LIPSedge M3 helpful during the pandemic?

LIPSedge M3 is a compact embedded 3D camera based on contactless 3D sensing technology. It is designed for Human Machine Interface (HMI) such as motion gesture or virtual keyboard. During the pandemic, several kiosk manufacturers targeting Smart Retail or Smart Healthcare turned to us to use LIPSedge M3 to build a contactless interface and avoid cross-over transmission of the virus in a retail or healthcare environment.

What is LIPS 3D Body Skeleton? What are its features?

LIPS 3D Body Skeleton is also another middleware based on contactless 3D sensing technology. By utilizing AI inference with a 3D camera, LIPS 3D Body Skeleton can uniquely segment the x,y,z locations of up to 14 joints in your body and track multiple users. LIPS 3D Body Skeleton enables a whole new range of applications such as Augmented Reality (AR), Interactive Digital Signage, Electronic Virtual Fence, and more.

Please share with us the outcome of partnering with Intel and your other partners.

Intel is a global tech giant with many great complementary technologies for LIPS. For example, LIPS accelerates the AI inferences with OpenVino technology on Intel CPUs. LIPS also introduces a new line of Ruggedized 3D Camera for Industrial Use using Intel RealSense technology. In addition, LIPS also introduces our Standalone 3D Camera embedded with Intel FPGA inside. Another big partner for us is NVIDIA. LIPS 3D Camera is now compatible with NVIDIA Issac, the new generation of the robotic platform. IdealWorks, a BMW spin-off, chooses LIPS 3D Camera with NVIDIA Issac for their Smart Transportation Robot design.

How does LIPSedge™ AE400 Ruggedized 3D Camera work?

LIPSedge™ AE400 Ruggedized 3D Camera is designed for industrial applications, such as Vision Guided Robotic(VGR), Logistic & Warehouse Automation, Factory Automation, Workplace Safety, Access Control, Agriculture and Livestock farming, 3D Measurement & Inspection, and more.

LIPSedge™ AE400 meets the requirements for IP67 classification and is therefore protected against dirt, dust, or water splashes. Also, instead of using the conventional USB connection, LIPSedge™ AE400 supports high-speed transmission of images and related control data through Gigabit Ethernet and can reach more than 100 meters in distance. LIPSedge™ AE400 also supports PoE (Power over Ethernet) and eliminates the need for a separate power supply and cable. These features make LIPSedge™ AE400 an ideal 3D camera for harsh working conditions.

Meet the Founder and CEO

Luke Liu is the Chairman and CEO of LIPS Corporation. The company was founded in 2013 by a group of MIT scholars. LIPS is a pioneer in 3D Sensing & AI and a leading global 3D Vision and Edge-AI Solutions, global provider. Luke Liu is also one of the founding members of the company.

He saw the 3D camera opportunities when he was researching MIT CSAIL. Comparing to a 2D camera, a 3D camera sees one additional dimension and can perform industrial applications faster and more accurately. There are still many technological challenges that have to be solved before the 3D camera can fully commercialize, which he is keen to solve.

“LIPS is the premium 3D Vision and AI solution partner of Intel and works with many of the world’s leading-edge technology companies including NVIDIA, Panasonic, Toshiba, Texas Instrument, Sony, Melexis, CEVA and more.”