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Posts Tagged ‘Sensing’

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 855 chipset offers faster depth sensing, 4K HDR video at 60fps

06 Dec

Qualcomm has announced its new flagship mobile chipset that we should expect to see in most 2019 high-end Android smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy S10.

From an imaging point of view the most interesting news is an upgraded Spectra image signal processor (ISP) that is taking over some tasks that previously have been performed by CPU, GPU and DSP in conjunction. For example, the ISP can process depth mapping at a frequency of 60 frames per second. This should be useful for real-time object attenuation applications but could also help improve simulated bokeh effects in video footage.

In addition the new ISP enables 4K HDR video capture at 60 fps and Qualcomm also claims the processor generally needs only about 25 percent of the power for the same task than previous variants.

For general computing the new chipset’s 7nm process is expected to deliver improved performance while yielding noticeably better battery life then the current Snapdragon 845. The Snapdragon 855 should also bring performance improvements to AI-applications. Qualcomm says the new chipset delivers “up to three times the AI performance compared to the previous generation mobile platform”.

In terms of connectivity the 855 won’t come with 5G but instead use Qualcomm’s new X24 LTE modem which is capable of theoretical download speeds up of to 2Gbps. However, device manufacturers will have the option to add an X50 5G modem to their packages if they they want to include 5G connectivity in their Snapdragon 855-powered products.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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New Qualcomm Spectra system brings 3D depth sensing to Android devices

16 Aug

Qualcomm launched the Clear Sight dual-camera system—which was powered by its Spectra ISP and used a combination of RGB and monochrome images sensors—in 2016. Today the company announced the second generation Spectra Module that introduces 3D computer vision to Qualcomm-powered Android devices.

The Qualcomm system is a dual-camera setup that is capable of sensing depth and motion in real time. In a smartphone’s rear camera, this technology could be used in apps to track motion and measure subject distance, which could ostensibly help improve simulated shallow depth-of-field effects.

In a front-facing camera, the Qualcomm system could help improve biometric security through iris scanning or 3D facial recognition. One of the technology’s advantages is the capability to capture and process image data in real time using off-the-shelf parts, unlike Google’s Tango project that relies on specialized hardware.

Qualcomm hasn’t yet announced any manufacturing partners yet, but given the popularity of the Qualcomm platform it’s arguably only a matter of time before we’ll see the technology pop up in the first Android devices.

Press Release

Qualcomm First to Announce Depth-Sensing Camera Technology Designed For Android Ecosystem

— Unveils next-generation Qualcomm Spectra ISP for computer vision, extended reality and computational photography technologies—

SAN DIEGO — August 15, 2017 — Today Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM), through its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., announced an expansion to the Qualcomm® Spectra™ Module Program, capable of improved biometric authentication and high-resolution depth sensing, designed to meet growing demands of photo and video for a broad range of mobile devices and head mounted displays (HMD). This module program is built on the cutting-edge technology behind the Qualcomm® SpectraTM embedded image signal processors (ISP) family. Engineered by Qualcomm Technologies from the ground up, Qualcomm Spectra paves the way for future image quality and computer vision innovations in upcoming Qualcomm® SnapdragonTM Mobile Platforms.

“Whether used for computational photography, video recording, or for computer vision applications that require accurate motion tracking, it’s clear that power efficient camera image signal processing has become more important for the next generation of mobile user experiences,” said Tim Leland, vice president of product management, Qualcomm TechnologiesInc. “Our breakthrough advancements in visual quality and computer vision, combined with our family of integrated Spectra ISPs for Snapdragon, are designed to support an ecosystem of cutting edge mobile applications for our customers.”

Together, the new ISPs and camera modules are engineered to support superior image quality and new computer vision use cases that utilize deep learning techniques and bokeh quality image experiences with a faster time to market for smartphone and HMD devices. The next-generation ISPs feature a new camera architecture designed for advancements in computer vision, image quality and power efficiency for the next Snapdragon mobile and VR platforms. The camera module program additions consist of a trio of camera modules, including an iris authentication module, a passive depth sensing module and an active depth sensing module.

Qualcomm Spectra Module Program

Launched last year, the Qualcomm Spectra Module Program was designed to help customers accelerate time to market for devices with stunning image quality and advanced camera technology. Last year’s offerings provided customers with optimized, dual-camera module solutions that make it easy for manufacturers to produce smartphone cameras with improved low light photography and video recording with smooth zoom. Now, the camera module program is being expanded to include new camera modules capable of utilizing active sensing for superior biometric authentication, and structured light for a variety of computer vision applications that require real-time, dense depth map generation and segmentation.

Second-generation Qualcomm Spectra ISP

The second-generation Qualcomm Spectra ISP is the next family of integrated ISPs that utilizes new hardware and software architecture designed specifically for advancements in computer vision, image quality, and power efficiency in future Snapdragon platforms. It features multiframe noise reduction for superior photographic quality, along with hardware-accelerated motion compensated temporal filtering (MCTF), and inline electronic image stabilization (EIS) for superior camcorder-like video quality.

The low-power, high-performance motion tracking capabilities of the Qualcomm Spectra ISP, in addition to optimized simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms, are designed to support new extended reality (XR) use cases for virtual and augmented reality applications that require SLAM.

The Qualcomm Spectra family of ISPs and new Qualcomm Spectra camera modules are expected to be part of the next flagship Snapdragon Mobile Platform.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm’s technologies powered the smartphone revolution and connected billions of people. We pioneered 3G and 4G – and now we are leading the way to 5G and a new era of intelligent, connected devices. Our products are revolutionizing industries, including automotive, computing, IoT, healthcare and data center, and are allowing millions of devices to connect with each other in ways never before imagined. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including, our QCT semiconductor business. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sensing Mumbai – Jan 12, 2013

12 Mar

A few nice visual art images I found:

Sensing Mumbai – Jan 12, 2013
visual art
Image by BMW Guggenheim Lab
Sensing Mumbai
BMW Guggenheim Lab
January 12, 2013
Mahim Beach
Mumbai, India

See the city in a whole new light…by not seeing it at all. We explored the non-visual experience of the city on this blindfolded adventure through Mumbai, and discovered how our experience of space changes when we are unable to see, and we become aware of sounds, smells, and sensations we might normally overlook.

Photos: UnCommonSense © 2013 Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York

Sensing Mumbai – Jan 12, 2013
visual art
Image by BMW Guggenheim Lab
Sensing Mumbai
BMW Guggenheim Lab
January 12, 2013
Mahim Beach
Mumbai, India

See the city in a whole new light…by not seeing it at all. We explored the non-visual experience of the city on this blindfolded adventure through Mumbai, and discovered how our experience of space changes when we are unable to see, and we become aware of sounds, smells, and sensations we might normally overlook.

Photos: UnCommonSense © 2013 Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York

 
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Posted in Photographs

 

Lec 1 | MIT 11.309J Sensing Place: Photography as Inquiry

10 Oct

Guest Lecture: Alex MacLean View the complete course at: ocw.mit.edu License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA More information at ocw.mit.edu More courses at ocw.mit.edu
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Visit tiger.tv for more Information and specifications on Digital cameras and other digital photography equipment. Welcome to another helpful Tiger How-To Tutorial! Choosing the right digital camera for your needs and skill-level can be a daunting task. We’ve created a helpful video guide to what you should look for, what you need, and what you can live without. Check it out!
Video Rating: 4 / 5