Jan 9 2019
TDK Corporation announced it is working with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. through its group company, Chirp Microsystems, to make inside-out six degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) controller tracking available to mobile VR/AR head-mounted displays (HMDs) powered by Snapdragon Mobile XR Platforms. For Chirp, today’s announcement further validates Chirp’s ultrasonic tracking technology as the optimal solution for mobile VR/AR systems, offering high-precision, low latency tracking with low power consumption and near-zero computation cost.
Powered by Chirp’s CH-101 digital ultrasound transceiver, the 6-DoF controller tracking system is based on Chirp’s SonicTrackTM ultrasonic sensor fusion library that is optimized for the Snapdragon Mobile XR Platform to provide ultra-low power, high-precision, drift-free tracking of hand-held gaming controllers.
“Our ultrasonic controller tracking solution is enabled by the CH-101 ultrasonic transceiver, the lowest power, smallest size ultrasonic transceiver on the market today,” said Michelle Kiang, CEO of Chirp Microsystem. “The power required by the tracking system is only a few milliwatts – about a hundred times less than an optical tracking system. More importantly, it requires minimal computation power to calculate the controller location compared to that needed in computer vision based tracking systems, allowing more processing power to be preserved for graphic rendering and tasks. Ultrasonic tracking also allows us to offer an incredibly wide field-of-view so that the HMD never loses track of the controllers as the user moves around. These features make our tracking solution really well-suited to mobile VR and AR systems where heat dissipation and short battery life are killer problems. We couldn’t imagine a better collaborator for the mobile industry than Qualcomm Technologies.”
“Qualcomm Technologies is a leader in mobile technologies for next generation XR entertainment and productivity experiences,” said Ziad Asghar, VP of product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Chirp’s ultrasonic tracking technology offers high-performance tracking and low computation cost for mobile VR. By utilizing Chirp’s technology with our Snapdragon Mobile XR platform, XR OEMs can create truly untethered, immersive experiences.”
Chirp Microsystems, a TDK group company, will be at the upcoming CES 2019, showcasing the Chirp SonicTrack platform, along with a comprehensive portfolio of sensors, electronic components and solutions for mobile, wearables, AR/VR, automotive, IoT and industrial applications in Booth #30306, Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall 3, January 8-11, Las Vegas, Nevada.