A new matrix-vector multiplication technique is proposed where free-space optical interconnections are used. The multiplication is carried out by a convolution technique where one set of numbers (multiplicands) is represented by the on/off states of light sources and the other sets of numbers (the multiplier) are recorded in matrix form on a spatial light modulator. The partial products are recorded on a detector array which, when added by a microprocessor, yield the respective convolution coefficients. No analogue to digital conversion electronics are necessary in the proposed technique and instead only a thresholding circuit is used. Compared to other existing techniques, the processing time is also reduced in the proposed system.