Proximity and presence detection for next-generation devices
TDK’s SmartSonic family of ultrasonic Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors empower IoT product development with contextual awareness, enabling the creation of products that adapt their response upon detecting the presence of the user or the characteristics of the surrounding environment.
Dependable range finding
Ideal for range-finding or high accuracy distance measurement from few cm up to 9.
Dramatic power savings
Ultra-low power consumption extends battery life: 1000x better than optical ToF (uA vs mA)
Consistent performance in real world conditions
Reliable performance in bright sun, dim light, or total darkness; measurements unaffected by surface color
Flexible and future proof
Generous program and data storage for custom processing, on‑device algorithms, and firmware updates.
Ideal for range-finding or high accuracy distance measurement from few cm up to 9.
Ultra-low power consumption extends battery life: 1000x better than optical ToF (uA vs mA)
Reliable performance in bright sun, dim light, or total darkness; measurements unaffected by surface color
Generous program and data storage for custom processing, on‑device algorithms, and firmware updates.
Discover how SmartSonic Ultrasonic ToF sensors bring presence and obstacle detection to life. From smart home and robotics to AR/VR gaming, see how engineers are using these sensors to create safer, smarter, and more immersive experiences—watch the video now.
Applications for ultrasonic time-of-flight sensors
Explore SmartSonic sensors within your range
Fast, ultra‑low‑power proximity and presence sensing for close interactions (cm‑level accuracy) - ideal for touchless controls, hand gestures, and wake‑on‑approach.
Reliable 1-5 m object detection and ranging with static target rejection for appliances, robotics, and room‑scale UX.
Extended‑reach ranging for smart home, industrial positioning, and large‑space occupancy (5–9 m+) with static target rejection, multi-sensor support for consistent performance.
Discover what’s the latest in Ultrasonic Time –of-Flight sensing
Chirp’s MEMS based ultrasonic technology leverages a Time‑of‑Flight (ToF) range sensor with a power-efficient digital signal processor (DSP) ASIC in a 3.5 × 3.5 mm package. The sensor handles a variety of ultrasonic signal-processing functions and algorithms, enabling customers flexible industrial design options for a broad range of use-case scenarios, including range-finding, presence and proximity sensing, object-detection and avoidance, and position-tracking.
SonicLib is a set of API functions and sensor driver routines designed so an embedded C application can easily control TDK/Invensense ultrasonic sensors (originally developed by Chirp Microsystems). SonicLib allows an application developer to manage and obtain ultrasonic data from one or more devices, without needing to develop special low-level code to interact with the sensors directly.
HelloChirp is an example source code package that incorporates SonicLib and provides compile time options to show how various applications can be implemented using the ICU-x0201 sensors. The application can be compiled for DK-x0201 using the MPLAB X IDE, or cn serve as a starting point for porting to a different platform.
Explore our top ultrasonic-time-of-flight products
High-Performance Ultra-Compact Ultrasonic Time‑of‑Flight Sensor for Ultra-Long-Range Applications
The ICU-30201 is a high-performance ultrasonic Time-of-Flight sensor that is ideal for measuring the range of objects between 30cm and 9.5m, and offers a customizable field-of-view of up to 180º. It has a sample rate of 75 samples per second at 2 meters, and 18 samples per second at 9 meters. It comes in a 5.17 × 2.68 × 0.9 mm LGA package, and includes an integrated DSP for signal processing.
High-Performance Ultra-Compact Ultrasonic Time‑of‑Flight Sensor for Long-Range Applications
The ICU-20201 is a high-performance ultrasonic Time-of-Flight sensor that is ideal for measuring the range of objects between 20cm and 5m, and offers a customizable field-of-view of up to 180º. It has a sample rate of 150 samples per second at 1 meter, and 32 samples per second at 5 meters. It comes in a 3.5 × 3.5 × 1.26 mm LGA package, and includes an integrated DSP for signal processing.
High-Performance Ultrasonic Time‑of‑Flight Sensor
The ICU-10201 is a high-performance ultrasonic Time-of-Flight sensor that is ideal for measuring the range of objects between 10cm and 1.2m, and offers a customizable field-of-view of up to 180º. It has a sample rate of 250 samples per second at 0.3 meters, and 130 samples per second at 1 meter. It comes in a 3.5 × 3.5 × 1.26 mm LGA package, and includes an integrated DSP for signal processing.
Ultra-Low-Power Integrated MEMS Ultrasonic Time‑of‑Flight Range Sensor with Millimeter Accuracy
Chirp’s MEMS based ultrasonic technology leverages a Time‑of‑Flight (ToF) range sensor with a power-efficient digital signal processor (DSP) ASIC in a 3.5 × 3.5 mm package. The sensor handles a variety of ultrasonic signal-processing functions and algorithms, enabling customers flexible industrial design options for a broad range of use-case scenarios, including range-finding, presence and proximity sensing, object-detection and avoidance, and position-tracking.
Long-Range Ultra-Low-Power Integrated MEMS Ultrasonic Time‑of‑Flight Range Sensor with Millimeter Accuracy
Chirp’s MEMS based ultrasonic technology leverages a Time‑of‑Flight (ToF) range sensor with a power-efficient digital signal processor (DSP) ASIC in a 3.5 × 3.5 mm package. The sensor handles a variety of ultrasonic signal-processing functions and algorithms, enabling customers flexible industrial design options for a broad range of use-case scenarios, including range-finding, presence and proximity sensing, object-detection and avoidance, and position-tracking.
Explore our comprehensive development platforms custom developed for each sensor type.
Development Kit for ICU-10201, ICU-20201, and ICU-30201 Ultrasonic ToF Sensors
The DK-x0201 is a comprehensive development platform for ICU family of products.
DK-CH201
Comprehensive development platform for CH201, with the ability to connect up to four additional CH201 modules.1212
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