Beyond classical sensing for industry, consumer and humanoids

As industry moves from 3.0 toward 6.0, production paradigms are shifting from classical automation to full robotization. Consumer technology is following a parallel track—evolving from wearables and foldables toward ambient, smart living environments that cover cooking, cleaning, and entertainment. In both domains, sensing and interconnection cease to be add-on features and instead form the core system architecture, with classical sensors increasingly giving way to quantum alternatives. In this talk, I will present three key technology shifts that imec is pursuing: Flat Optics: Our platforms span the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet spectrums using C-rich aSi, TiO, and NbO in multilayer stacks. This optical miniaturization unlocks new, ultra-compact form factors for non-invasive vital-signs monitoring. Sensors with Optical Readout: Beyond traditional image sensors, we are developing optical pressure sensors, microphones, IMUs, and thermometers. Together, this multimodal suite forms a dense sensing architecture capable of populating a true robotic skin. Magnetic Sensing & Integrated Photonics: Ranging from TMR devices to diamond color centers, we leverage diamond as a single material platform for both sensing and communication. Supporting all three directions, our integrated photonic platforms incorporate MEMS phase shifters and ultra-low-loss waveguides—using SiN in the infrared and extending to AlO for the UV. The common thread across these developments is compact, low-power, quantum-enhanced sensing distributed throughout the system architecture, with applications spanning industrial robotics, consumer environments, and humanoids.