SiLC Launches Sensor with Human-Hair Precision to Automate Factories

MONROVIA, CA – April 13, 2026 – SiLC Technologies, a pioneer in silicon photonics, today unveiled a new laser scanning system capable of detecting imperfections as small as the width of a human hair from several meters away. The company's new Eyeonic® Trace Ultra promises to bring an unprecedented level of precision to industrial automation, potentially transforming quality control on factory floors and in warehouses.

The new system delivers a range precision of 100 microns, a 300% improvement over its award-winning predecessor. This leap in accuracy allows machines to perform high-speed inspection tasks that have, until now, required meticulous manual measurement or specialized, off-line quality control stations. By enabling machines to perceive minute details in real-time, SiLC aims to accelerate the adoption of fully automated manufacturing and logistics environments.

A New Benchmark in Industrial Perception

The core innovation of the Eyeonic Trace Ultra is its ability to combine microscopic precision with a large operational envelope. While many high-precision sensors exist, they often operate at very short distances or with a narrow field of view. The Trace Ultra maintains its 100-micron accuracy across a working range of up to 5 meters, a combination that competitors in the industrial sensing market struggle to match.

“The Eyeonic Trace introduced last year has been a huge success, with new customers and applications emerging every day,” said Mehdi Asghari, CEO of SiLC Technologies. “But some use cases demand even higher precision. Eyeonic Trace Ultra addresses that need by delivering 100-micron accuracy while maintaining all the performance and benefits that made the original Eyeonic Trace so successful.”

This capability is critical for applications like automotive manufacturing. As car parts move down an assembly line, the system can scan them at high speed to identify tiny scratches, subtle dents, or critical alignment tolerances that might otherwise go unnoticed. This allows for 100% inspection without slowing down production, a significant step up from current methods that often rely on random sampling or human visual checks, which can be inconsistent and costly. The large working range also enables the fine measurement of very large objects, such as the entire frame of a car, in a single process.

Beyond its precision, the system is designed for seamless integration into harsh industrial settings. It is rated Class 1 eye-safe, meaning it can operate around human workers without requiring safety enclosures or special protective gear. It is also immune to interference from other sensors (cross-talk) and can function reliably in any lighting condition, from complete darkness to bright sunlight, overcoming common challenges that plague traditional vision systems.

Challenging the Status Quo with Silicon Photonics

SiLC's ability to deliver this level of performance stems from its foundational technology: a proprietary silicon photonics chip that integrates all the necessary optical components onto a single semiconductor. This approach, known as Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) LiDAR, is fundamentally different from the technologies used by many established players in the industrial vision space, such as Keyence, Cognex, and SICK.

While competitors offer a vast array of high-quality 2D and 3D vision systems, SiLC's technology provides an inherent advantage in capturing not just shape and distance, but also motion and velocity—what the company calls 4D+ vision. This rich data stream is the bedrock of "Physical AI," SiLC's vision for a future where machines can perceive, reason, and act with human-like awareness.

The industrial sensing market is crowded, with companies like LMI Technologies offering sensors that can achieve even finer resolutions, sometimes down to a few microns. However, these are typically specialized for microscopic inspection with a much smaller field of view. SiLC's claim of "unmatched performance" rests on its unique blend of high precision, long range, eye safety, and environmental robustness packed into a compact and cost-effective unit, all enabled by its chip-scale integration. This positions the Eyeonic Trace Ultra not as a niche laboratory instrument, but as a workhorse for broad deployment across the factory floor.

Accelerating the Autonomous Industrial Revolution

The launch of Eyeonic Trace Ultra comes at a time when industries are aggressively pursuing automation to combat rising labor costs, increase efficiency, and meet demands for zero-defect manufacturing. The need for precise, reliable, and automated inspection extends far beyond the automotive sector.

In electronics manufacturing, such precision is crucial for inspecting microchips and circuit boards for minute flaws. In the aerospace industry, it can be used to verify the integrity of composite materials and turbine blades. For medical device production, it ensures that intricate instruments and implants meet exacting safety and quality standards. Even in logistics and warehousing—a sector undergoing rapid automation—the technology can be used for precise package dimensioning to optimize storage and shipping.

“Manufacturers are increasingly looking to automate as much of the production and inspection process as possible,” Asghari noted. “That shift requires sensing technologies capable of delivering the accuracy and reliability needed to support fully automated operations.”

SiLC, founded in 2018, has garnered significant strategic investment from industry heavyweights including Dell Technologies Capital, Sony Innovation Fund, Epson, and automotive supplier Hankook & Company. This backing underscores the industry's confidence in silicon photonics as a key enabling technology for the next generation of smart machines. To facilitate adoption, the Eyeonic Trace Ultra is fully upward compatible with its predecessor, allowing existing customers to upgrade their systems for higher precision without a complete redesign.

The company is showcasing the new system with live demonstrations at the MODEX 2026 supply chain trade show in Atlanta this week, with evaluation units immediately available for customers. This launch is part of a broader platform strategy, with SiLC planning to introduce additional products, including an area scanner, to further expand the capabilities of its Eyeonic Trace family and solidify its role in powering the future of industrial automation.