The short story

2DNeuralVision partners produced leadfree IIIV quantum dots (InSb and InAs) that respond much deeper into the infrared – up to 2.5 μm. That range is valuable for fog, spray glare and eye-safe illumination, where visible light struggles.

Why it matters

Reliable perception in adverse weather remains a major challenge for vehicle automation, industrial monitoring, and environmental sensing. By advancing leadfree, CMOS compatible SWIR materials, 2DNeuralVision contributes to:

• Safer driving, more often: more reliable perception when weather and light don’t cooperate.
• Futureproof: a lead-free option that supports automotive compliance.
• Plug-in ready: these results feed straight into our sensor stack and benchmark plan.

This work advances the EU’s goals in sustainable electronics, smart mobility, and photonic innovation based on advanced materials.

How we got there

2DNeuralVision’s Consortium achieved major materials science improvements:

• InAs dots were fine-tuned so they grow more evenly and respond close to 2.0 µm.
• InSb dots were improved with a controlled precursor injection process, reaching deep SWIR target wavelengths while keeping the crystal quality clean.

These advances build the foundation for the project’s wide‑spectrum image sensor, designed to capture reliable information even where visible and near‑infrared sensors fail.

What comes next

The next steps include integrating these materials into prototype image sensors and comparing characterizing performance of the sensors. These results will feed directly into the project’s evaluation framework and demonstrators.