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Smart Glasses and AR/VR

A new frontier in human-machine interfaces powered by TDK custom sensing solutions

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Frames packed with intelligence and promise

Smart glasses and AR/VR headsets are rapidly moving into the mainstream, emerging as the preferred AI-human-machine interface. 

TDK’s advanced sensing technologies bring smart glasses to life. Our custom-built IMU is designed specifically for smart eyewear and wearable applications, delivering real-time motion tracking in a compact, ultra-low-power form factor. Combined with precision motion sensing, high-fidelity microphones, ultrasonic Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensing, and intelligent on-chip processing, TDK solutions enable seamless interaction, accurate tracking, and context-aware experiences, helping users see, hear, and act in ways never before possible.

 

A complete sensor-stack enabling a smarter vision

Explore smart glasses and AR/VR features unlocked by our sensing solutions
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High accuracy head orientation tracking

On-chip 6-axis/9-axis sensor fusion delivers highly accurate, responsive motion sensing 

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Industry's lowest power gyroscope

Lowest power gyroscope enables always on head orientation tracking  

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Blur-free images and video

Built-in support for optical and electronic image stabilization improves camera performance 

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Vocal Vibration Detection (VVD)

High sound fidelity and bone-conduction sensing enables intuitive, reliable speech detection

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Intelligent activity recognition

Advanced motion triggers and activity classification with parallel decision trees

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High sound fidelity

Clear voice and rich sound with high-SNR microphones, enabling reliable voice commands, calls, and audio experiences

Smart glasses and AR/VR in action

The cutting edge in consumer, enterprise & industrial applications

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Consumer applications

Enhance everyday experiences with augmented reality

Smart glasses are bringing augmented reality into everyday life, blending digital information with the physical world. 

  • View directions, notifications, and messages through AR overlays 
  • Track movement and activity for fitness and navigation 
  • Enable immersive media, gaming, and social interaction 
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Industrial applications

Improve maintenance, inspection, and operational efficiency

AR-enabled wearables connect frontline workers with remote support and critical information. 

  • Provide real-time remote assistance for field teams 

  • Stream live video for guided troubleshooting and repair 

  • Access instructions and workflows within the field of view 

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Enterprise applications

Enable hands-free collaboration and remote expertise

Smart glasses are transforming how organizations support frontline teams through hands-free access to information and remote collaboration. 

  • Follow AR-guided instructions for maintenance and repair 

  • Perform inspections with contextual overlays and alerts 

  • Monitor tasks while maintaining situational awarenes

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Healthcare and medical applications

Enhance medical workflows and patient care

Smart glasses support clinical efficiency, training, and remote care. 

  • Access patient data and procedural guidance hands-free 

  • Enable telemedicine and real-time expert collaboration 

  • Support training and monitoring with first-person capture 

Explore our custom sensing solutions powering Smart Glasses and AR/VR

From fashion-forward smart glasses to fitness eyewear to AR/VR and extended reality, TDK’s full set of sensor technologies delivers the precision, power efficiency, and embedded intelligence your product demands.

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SmartMotion®

Motion sensing for spatial interaction and wearable system awareness

  • Enable head tracking and orientation sensing for immersive spatial computing 

  • Support gesture recognition and activity detection for intuitive user interaction 

  • Enable reliable speech detection with VibeSense360™ vocal vibration detection (VVD) 

  • Deliver high-precision motion tracking with the ICM-45685 6-axis smart glasses IMU 

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SmartSound™

Voice capture for natural human-machine interaction

  • Capture voice clearly for AI assistants, voice commands, and communication 

  • Support speech detection and recognition for responsive voice interfaces 

  • Integrate easily into lightweight wearable designs with ultra-low-power microphones 

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SmartSonic™

Spatial awareness and environmental sensing for wearable platforms

  • Perform range-finding and presence or proximity sensing to detect nearby users and objects 
  • Support object detection and avoidance for safer navigation and contextual awareness 
  • Deliver position tracking with true 3D positioning for spatial computing and AR interaction 
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SmartMagnetics

Magnetic sensing for controls and device awarenes

  • Enable rotational sensing for knobs and digital crown-style controls 

  • Detect hinge position and tilt for device orientation and fit monitoring 

  • Support accurate button press detection for responsive user input 

High-performance IMUs powering next-gen wearables

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ICM-45685

6-Axis

This IMU is purpose-built for smart eyewear and wearable applications, delivering real-time, intelligent motion tracking in a compact, power-efficient form factor. It enables immersive AR/VR experiences, fitness-focused wearables, and productivity eyewear without sacrificing performance or battery life 

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T5848

Bottom Port I²S Digital Output Multi‑Mode Microphone

The T5848 is a low noise, high AOP I²S microphone with a 24‑bit PCM output for direct connection to a wide variety of SoCs. It also features Acoustic Activity Detect (AAD), a new ultra-low power edge processing feature consuming as low as 20 µA.

Microchip with TDK logo and "ICM-45686" etched onto its surface

ICM-45686

High-Precision 6-Axis MEMS MotionTracking® Device

The ICM-45686 is an ultra high‑performance 6‑axis MEMS motion sensor family with the world’s first BalancedGyro™ technology and lowest power consumption. The sensor combines a 3‑axis gyroscope and a 3‑axis accelerometer in a compact 2.5 × 3 × 0.81 mm package.

The BalancedGyro technology by TDK is the first‑of‑its‑kind gyroscope MEMS architecture that enables supreme vibration rejection and temperature stability performance, an enhancement never seen before in a consumer gyroscope.

ICM-45686 provides higher full-scale range upto 4000 dps and 32g, better temperature stability to reduce temperature related drift, and high-performance features such as Real Time Clock Input and 18/19 bit high-resolution FIFO.

This family offers the world’s lowest power 6‑axis motion sensor. This allows the gyroscope to be on 40% of the times more than any other gyroscope in the industry. This also offers the very first Gyroscope Low Power Mode, enabling ~200uA of 6-axis IMU current consumption, making it the top choice for wearables, hearables and any battery driven IoT application.

It has a configurable host interface that supports I3C℠, I²C and SPI serial communication, and an AUX interface that supports SPI slave mode for connection to OIS controllers or I²C master mode for connection to external sensors.

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