The MEMS mirror moves thousands of times per second to scan an infrared light beam and project an invisible grid on objects in front of it for 3D imaging and gesture applications.

The light is encoded with a time stamp and when it comes back from the object it is captured and analyzed to produce time of flight information and thence a depth map for 3D imaging and gesture applications. ST did not state what systems Intel is using the scanning micromirror in but the US company has recently started marketing its RealSense 3D camera.

The use of MEMS technology to realize the mirror enables small and robust systems with high-performance and low-energy characteristics suitable for consumer devices.

"Only a company with the full range of expertise that ST owns could overcome the significant power, actuation, inertial, and jitter issues to build the right micro-mirror and integrate the analog front end and digital logic onto a single low-power die to achieve the form-factors necessary for mainstream device integration," said Benedetto Vigna, general manager of the analog, MEMS and sensors group at ST, in a statement.

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