Editor’s note: As artificial intelligence makes waves across the technology world, a Shenzhen-based company is making big strides in the field of 3D sensing — a market that’s projected to hit US$5 billion by 2024.

When Huang Yuanhao stepped into the field of 3D sensing in 2002, he had no idea what the future would hold. But after years of exploration, he has proved to be on the right track.

As artificial intelligence gains traction across the globe and penetrates more into people’s lives, 3D sensing, as one of the most critical technologies in AI that enables machines to look at and perceive the world like humans, is commanding greater attention.

From making payments to security checks and surveillance with 3D facial recognition, the technology that has made all these possible is 3D sensing

From making payments to security checks and surveillance with 3D facial recognition, the technology that has made all these possible is 3D sensing.

“3D sensing is an emerging sector. In this new battlefield, we’re in an advantageous position to compete with global giants. We aim to become a world leader in this area,” said Huang, founder of Shenzhen-based tech company Orbbec.

Global tech behemoths, including Apple, Intel and Microsoft, have marched ambitiously into the sector, pouring huge resources into it in a bid to grab a piece of the pie of the “red ocean” market.

READ MORE: 3D printing injects future into medical industry

The advantage of his company, Huang believes, lies in its “gene”. Key members of his entrepreneurial team have been exploring optical measurements for more than a decade.

A ‘gene’ from beginning

“By comparison, Apple started its business by making computers, as did Microsoft. Sony was born as a sensor-maker. In this sense, we have a gene of doing 3D sensing from the beginning,” he said.

“The current situation is like the computer sector 20 or 30 years ago when Apple began making computers. At that time, IBM was the leader in the computer market, while Apple and Microsoft were little kids. But they made a success and led us to a new era.

ALSO READ: 3D-printing helps HK's fight against the coronavirus

“Likewise, we are the kid of this era compared with Apple and Microsoft. We need to wait and see what the future will be.”

So far, Orbbec has applied for nearly 600 patents, pushing it to the world’s top three in terms of the number of patents in 3D sensing. It’s also the world’s first 3D sensor maker for the Android system with shipments hitting 1 million.

According to a report by market intelligence firm Market Research Engine, the global 3D sensor market is expected to hit US$5 billion by 2024, showing a 23 percent year-on-year growth, driven by the growing application of 3D technology in consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive, security and surveillance, and other sectors.

Guo Yulan, a lecturer at the National University of Defense Technology, said 3D imaging, compared to 2D imaging, contains richer information on the shape and structure of things, which helps give people a better understanding of different scenarios.

The technology is expected to have large-scale applications in such fields as autonomous driving, robotics, virtual reality and augmented reality, Guo told a forum in Shenzhen.

While there’s “huge potential” to be tapped in the market, Huang said he will initially focus on exploring the domestic market before extending the company’s footprint to Europe, Southeast Asia and the United States.

“We’ll focus mainly on three areas — consumer electronics, new retail and automobile.”

Potential in the market

Smartphones, as a major part of consumer electronics, will be a key area as 3D cameras are being widely used in the devices.

Chinese smartphone maker Oppo launched its flagship model Oppo Find X in June 2018, carrying a 3D camera made by Orbbec, making it the world’s first Android smartphone model to support the function of making payments with 3D facial recognition

Chinese smartphone maker Oppo launched its flagship model Oppo Find X in June 2018, carrying a 3D camera made by Orbbec, making it the world’s first Android smartphone model to support the function of making payments with 3D facial recognition.

“Although the world’s smartphone market is still grappling with downward pressure amid high saturation, the upcoming commercialization of 5G technology will give it a shot in the arm, fueling another round of growth in the sector,” Huang said.

New retail, meanwhile, is the fastest-growing sector for Orbbec as 3D facial recognition is being increasingly used in payments, he said. In the automobile sector, a big demand for 3D sensors will emerge with the development of autonomous driving, he said.

Orbbec has been cooperating with more than 2,000 partners across the globe, including Ant Financial, Oppo, UnionPay and Hewlett Packard.

Huang’s story with 3D sensing started in 2002 when he was still a university student. “I was pursing my postgraduate studies at that time. One day, I saw industrial equipment being used to make a precise 3D scanning of the human face. I then thought 3D sensing is important because our world is three-dimensional, and 3D data of things will be of great importance to us.”

After 10 years of accumulation in the academic field, pursing his doctoral degree at the City University of Hong Kong and working as a researcher at various universities in the SAR, the US and Canada, Huang founded Orbbec in 2013.

The company has since grown into a 700-strong team, 70 percent of whom are research and development staff. It has set up branches in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an and Michigan in the US.

The company completed its US$200 million, D-round financing in 2018, with Ant Financial — the finance arm of e-commerce giant Alibaba — as its leading investor.

The company’s operating revenue shot up threefold in 2019 compared with the previous year, Huang said, without giving specific figures. He expects Orbbec to achieve the same growth this year.

Although his company is currently leading the international race in the field, there’s still a long way to go, he admitted.

“It’s like a 100-meter race. We’ve run 10 meters, while our competitors have done 5 meters. But there’re still 90 meters to go. So we’re temporarily ahead of the pack. We have to run faster for final victory,” he said.