TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 15, 2026--
Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) began mass production of the AK5816AIM, an Antenna-in-Module (AiM) millimeter-wave (mmWave) radar module, in July 2026. Its integrated antenna, compact packaging, and high-resolution performance enable the rapid adoption of camera-less monitoring solutions in private spaces.
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Fueled in part by aging populations and a steady increase in pet ownership, in-home monitoring has become integral for many consumers. This growing demand comes with challenges: camera-based monitoring raises privacy concerns, and wearable sensors often compromise comfort and convenience.
As mmWave radar can detect a person's presence, movement, and even breathing without relying on cameras, it offers a solution for non-contact monitoring. The development of practical mmWave radar systems has traditionally required extensive expertise in radio-frequency (RF) antenna design, which has made commercialization and mass production difficult.
AKM’s new AiM module is built around the AK5816 mmWave radar transceiver IC, whose multi-channel sensing capability and high angular resolution enable highly accurate detection of position, motion, breathing, posture, and other state changes in people and pets. The AK5816AIM integrates the AK5816 and a 4-in/4-out antenna array into a single compact package (23 mm × 23 mm). This solution eliminates the antenna design process, enabling rapid product development, even for teams without RF design expertise.
Designed with residential equipment, IoT monitoring devices, and age-tech solutions in mind, AKM’s new AiM is suited for monitoring applications in environments where many would be reluctant to install cameras, such as bathrooms and bedrooms. The company has already launched services that use the AK5816AIM for non-contact, camera-less monitoring in bathrooms and living spaces in “Hebel Village,” a senior housing offering developed by Asahi Kasei Homes.
Gregg Rouse, President of AKM’s United States business unit, commented, “With the start of mass production of the AK5816AIM, camera-less sensing technologies are entering a new phase, enabling wider deployment in everyday living environments. We hope to expand the adoption of these and other privacy-conscious monitoring solutions by collaborating with partners known for their expertise across key technologies. The response to the AK5816AIM at CES ® 2026 in Las Vegas was very encouraging, and we intend to maintain that momentum.”
AKM is working with software and hardware partners to support camera-less monitoring solutions based on the AK5816AIM. Partners include Aizip, whose collaboration with AKM received a Best of Sensors award at Sensors Converge, as well as Algorized, Sigma0, and Nisshinbo Micro Devices. Together, they bring capabilities across AI detection, radar signal processing, development tools, and mass-producible 60 GHz sensor modules. Through these collaborations, AKM supports customers from application development through mass-production design.
To learn more about the AK5816AIM visit, https://www.akm.com/global/en/products/millimeter-wave-radar/lineup-millimeter-wave-radar/ak5816aim/
CES ® is a registered trademark of the Consumer Technology Association.
About Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM)
AKM, a Japan-based company, operates an electronic components business as a member of the Asahi Kasei Group's Material sector. AKM provides customers with unique products by combining the compound semiconductor technology used in magnetic sensors with the ASIC/analog circuit technology used in silicon semiconductors. AKM's unique products and solutions are featured across a wide range of markets, including mobile communication devices and consumer products, as well as automotive electronics devices, household equipment, and industrial equipment.
About Asahi Kasei
Asahi Kasei is a diversified global company that contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922, with businesses in ammonia and cellulose fiber, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through proactive portfolio transformation to meet the evolving needs of every age. With 50,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to sustainability by providing solutions to the world’s challenges across its three business sectors: Healthcare, Homes, and Material. For more information, visit https://www.asahi-kasei.com/.
The AK5816AIM mmWave radar module
Millimeter-wave monitoring solution ecosystem
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen marked Ukraine’s annual Statehood Day on Wednesday in Kyiv, pledging continued military and financial support for the country's sovereignty as it holds out against Russia’s 4-year-old full-scale invasion.
Ukraine has been under threat since Russian forces illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, followed eight years later by the all-out invasion in 2022. Statehood Day, celebrating the country’s self-determination, is a public holiday in Ukraine.
The war has killed thousands of soldiers and civilians, forced millions to flee their homes, reduced some Ukrainian cities to rubble, and has fueled fears the confrontation could slide into an open conflict between Russia and NATO, whose member nations have supported Kyiv. No peace settlement is in sight.
Senior officials from southeastern European countries also were expected in Kyiv for a gathering focused on Black Sea and regional security. Last year’s meeting in the southern city of Odesa reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently won important pledges of further support, including from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations and the so-called Coalition of the Willing countries.
Von der Leyen said her trip to the Ukrainian capital was her 11th in wartime. Europe is watchful of Russia’s broader intentions on the continent and has provided billions of euros (dollars) to Ukraine as well as diplomatic support.
Von der Leyen said she would announce new steps toward integrating the European and Ukrainian defense industries as well as providing help to prepare the country's air defenses for the colder months, when Russia usually tries to knock out electricity and heat in what Kyiv officials call “weaponizing winter.”
The top European Union official's visit came as Western officials and analysts say Ukraine’s drone and missile attacks are hitting high-profile targets deep inside Russia, severely disrupting Moscow's supply lines and causing civilian fuel shortages.
“It’s a special moment,” Von der Leyen said on social media. “Ukraine has built a strong military momentum. The tide is turning.”
Washington appeared poised to increase economic pressure on Moscow as a proposed Russia sanctions bill was unveiled in the U.S. Senate following Saturday’s death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of its chief backers.
The bill, which its authors had hoped to pass last summer but was held up by White House reservations, would impose steep tariffs on goods from countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports.
Wednesday's official ceremonies and visiting dignitaries in Kyiv came at a delicate political moment for Zelenskyy as he manages a major government reshuffle.
Meanwhile, Serbia’s Moscow-friendly president, Aleksandar Vucic, was taking part in the Southeast Europe Summit in Kyiv. Serbia, which relies almost fully on Russia for its energy supplies, has refused to join Western sanctions on Moscow, although it officially supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Ukrainian officials said Wednesday that at least nine civilians were killed and 13 others were injured in Russian aerial attacks.
Russian forces dropped six glide bombs mostly targeting infrastructure in the Sumy region of northern Ukraine, killing three people and wounding seven, said Oleh Hryhorov, head of the regional military administration.
Three people were killed and three others wounded in a Russian attack on Odesa, according to Serhii Lysak, the head of the city’s military administration.
In the Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine, Russian drones killed two people and seriously wounded an 18-year-old, while one person was killed and two injured in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, officials said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight intercepted 93 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions, as well as over Crimea and the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. Associated Press reporter Justin Spike in Budapest contributed.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Ukrainian and EU officials attend a ceremony in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, greets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
From left, Romania President Nicusor Dan, Moldova President Maia Sandu, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Olena Zelenska attend a ceremony in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, awards European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Press Office, Ukraine's deputy of Foreign Minister Olexander Mischenko, left, welcomes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen upon her arrival at a railway station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Press Office via AP)
