Ningbo firm unveils vision sensing chip

A Ningbo-based neuromorphic intelligence company has unveiled a new vision sensing chip designed to help machines interpret motion in real time, marking a step forward in China's development of brain-inspired perception technologies for robotics and smart systems.

SynSense, a brain-inspired computing firm headquartered in Ningbo, introduced its next-generation visual sensor chip Aeveon, which the company says fills a domestic gap in neuromorphic vision sensing and targets applications in robotics, drones, autonomous vehicles, and AR/XR devices. 

Unlike conventional image sensors that capture full-frame video data, Aeveon focuses on detecting changes in a scene — such as movement direction and speed — allowing machines to process only relevant motion information rather than redundant visual data. This approach is intended to reduce computing load and latency while improving real-time responsiveness.

The chip measures just 3.4 mm by 3.4 mm, roughly one-sixth the diameter of a coin, yet operates at up to 240 frames per second, with power consumption of around 10 milliwatts. It can also deliver motion output at up to 1,000 frames per second with millisecond-level latency, combining high speed, low power use, and high precision.

SynSense said the design is inspired by biological neural processing, where only changes in a visual field are encoded and transmitted. This method reduces data volume by as much as 90 percent compared with traditional imaging pipelines.

The company confirmed that the chip has completed tape-out, a key stage in semiconductor development, paving the way for mass production.

Founded in Switzerland in 2017 and later relocating its headquarters to China, SynSense is now based in Ningbo's Yinzhou district.