SOFTKINETIC (acquired by Sony)

Optrima NV was founded in May 2009 following seven years of university research within the Electronics and Informatics department (ETRO) and the Laboratory for Micro- & Photonelectronics (LAMI) of the VUB by a team of physicists, analog and digital designers, and image processing specialists. The team designed and developed 3D ToF sensors and cameras, allowing 3D gesture interfaces to be built. 

In 2011 Optrima merged with SoftKinetic, a ULB spin-off  that focused on 3D imaging, software and gaming. Both businesses merged into Softkinetic and moved to state-of-the-art facilities in Brussels. This strategic joint venture aimed to offer the most complete 3D depth-sensing imaging and gesture recognition solutions on the market.

In 2015  SoftKinetic was sold to Sony. With this purchase Sony made the next step in the market for 3D Sensors. Therefore, the group was particularly interested in the so-called Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor technology. This is a very accurate way to measure how long light travels the from an image sensor to the object and back. It measures the distance to an object and locates it in space. That way, you could control a game device with body movements, or a robot can orient itself in a complex environment.

In December 2017, two years after Sony acquired VUB spin-off SoftKinetic, the company became Sony Depthsensing Solutions. Former CTO and co-founder of Optrima Daniël Van Nieuwenhove was appointed as President of the Sony subsidiary.

Until today, Sony Depthsensing Solutions continues to develop innovative solutions for the automotive, mobile, smart world and industrial markets.