Movidius launches 3D chip for mobile devices
Mobile operators looking for the next differentiator in the device market could drive the adoption of 3D displays on phones, according to Bob Tait, Director o Marketing of chip developer Movidius.
Speaking as Movidius lauched its MA1133 chip – a chip that enables the live capture and conversion of images in and into 3D – Tait said that having devices in their portfolios that could offer a 3D experience could prove a “strong differentiator” for operators.
Movidius’ chip uses auto-stereoscopic display technology which means converging two captured images to give a 3D effect without the user needing wear glasses. Phones that have the chip would also require two cameras placed about 6.5cm apart on the device (about the average distance between the middle of the eyes on a person).
Mobile Europe saw a demo of the technology, using an Android UI and a screen playing back video captured, as well as 3D conversion of existing 2D content. The experience isn’t perfect and will require the user to adapt to how and where to hold the phone, but it certainly produced a visible 3D effect, which is particularly impressive in the live conversion of 2D video.
Tait said it would enable operators to exploit their existing content catalogues for 3D coversion, addressing one of the issues for the adoption of 3D so far – the paucity of content. Movidius’ technology overcomes that by allowing on the fly conversion of 2D content, a YouTube video say, on the device into 3D.
“The experience brings watching a video to a different level, which drives more traffic for the operator; the right kind of traffic too – billable traffic,” Tait said.
Tait said that although there is an increase in the bill of materials for including the extra sensor and the power it requires, as well as the chip itself, the exact amount would depend on the quality and functionality the device manufacturer wanted to achieve. He anticipated that an operator might have one or two 3D-capable devices in their range, rather than it becoming a mass-market play.
As well as viewing videos and images, Tait identified augmented reality (AR) apps and gaming as two other areas that could benefit from the introduction of 3D. For instance, 3D in AR could provide a depth of field so that flags and tags could appear on more properties in a given image than current 2D displays.
Tech specs of the MA1133
Movidius’ Myriad 3D MA1133 silicon and software platform is capable of capturing stereo still photos and video images using two separate high resolution cameras, and then processing them in real-time into 3D, whether still or video, using the powerful multimedia processing technology at the heart of the Myriad 3D platform. The same technology will process the 3D images for the best viewing experience on a 3D display without glasses (auto-stereoscopic).
MA1133 can also be used to view downloaded 3D or 2D content. Movidius’ real-time conversion algorithms deliver matching of the content and the display field depth resulting in a 3D experience and avoiding issues that leave the viewer uncomfortable or even nauseous after prolonged use.
The MA1133 is the first in Movidius’ series of 3D products, with further product announcements to be made soon.