With High Frame Rate, Small Size and Low Power Consumption, OMNIVISION’s OVM6211 and SMI’s Eye Tracking Platform Are Ready for VR and AR Volume Markets
LAS VEGAS — January 4, 2016 — OMNIVISION’s global shutter CameraCubeChip® will be integrated into SMI’s virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) eye tracking platform as part of an alliance that aspires to shape the future of the sector.
In a joint announcement today, coinciding with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, OMNIVISION Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: OVTI), a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, and SensoMotoric Instruments GmbH (SMI), a world leader in eye tracking technology, said that the use of one of the industry’s smallest global shutter camera solutions will enable SMI’s eye tracking platform to deliver high frame rates and low latency, enabling real-time, intuitive, and handsfree VR and AR experiences in devices such as VR headsets and smart glasses.
“Previously we have integrated OMNIVISION’s sensors to create unique reference designs for desktop, mobile, and wearable VR and AR with exceptional results. By leveraging OMNIVISION’s latest sensor technology, we are able to offer an extremely compact, robust and fast eye tracking platform that can be easily integrated into a wide range of displays,” said Christian Villwock, director of SMI’s OEM Solutions Business. “The combination of high performance and low power consumption in the OVM6211 aligns precisely with our advanced eye-tracking technology, and is critical in pushing the frontiers of natural user interfaces.”
Will Foote, OMNIVISION’s partnership manager, added: “As the demand for VR and AR headsets increases rapidly, not only for gaming devices but also for professional, enterprise, academic and wider consumer applications, the availability of intuitive, hands-free user interfaces can become critical. We are excited to work alongside SMI, an industry leader of nearly 25 years, and help shape the future of this rapidly growing market segment.”
Using OMNIVISION’s 3‑micron OmniPixel®3-GS global shutter pixel, the OVM6211 features high sensitivity in near infrared (NIR) wavelengths, minimizing the required power budget of the NIR light source. The OVM6211 captures full resolution (400 x 400 pixels) video at 120 frames per second. OMNIVISION’s CameraCubeChip® technology enables the OVM6211’s extremely compact form factor of just 3.23 x 3.23 x 3.92 mm, making it ideal for space constrained devices. SMI’s “works with everyone” eye tracking platform is proven for VR/AR applications, streaming highly accurate eye tracking data such as gaze vector and 3D eyeball position. It is calibration-free for quick and easy setup and has fully automatic slip compensation, allowing users to move or take the headset on or off without any impact on data robustness.
About SMI
SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) is a world leader in eye tracking technology, developing and marketing eye & gaze tracking systems for scientists and professionals, OEM and medical solutions for a wide range of applications. Find out more at www.smivision.com. Follow @SMIeyetracking on Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter.