virtual reality News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

February 25, 2021February 25, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

StereoPi v2 stereoscopic camera is powered by Raspberry Pi CM4 (Crowdfunding)

StereoPi stereoscopic camera based on Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 was introduced in late 2019 on Crowd Supply. The camera can record 3D video, create 3D depth maps with OpenCV, and benefits from the Raspberry Pi software ecosystem. The developers are now back with an upgraded model. StereoPi v2 comes with many of the same features, but as it is based on Raspberry Pi CM4 (Compute Module 4) it offers better performance, Gigabit Ethernet, Wifi & Bluetooth connectivity out of the box, while other features like PoE, TFT screen, shot button, etc.. are optional. StereoPi v2 specifications: Supported SoM – Raspberry Pi CM4 or CM4Lite modules Storage – MicroSD card socket Video Output – Micro HDMI port Camera I/F – 2x MIPI CSI camera connector plus “hackable camera lines” Networking – Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port, plus optional WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 on Raspberry Pi CM4 module USB – 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports, 1x USB 2.0 interface on header […]

September 17, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

Facebook Introduces Oculus Quest 2 Standalone VR headset Powered by Snapdragon XR2 SoC

Virtual reality headsets used to have to be connected to computers for optimal performance while gaming, and several years ago, most standalone VR headsets were only good to play some videos. But technology has evolved, and with the launch of Snapdragon XR2 powered Oculus Quest 2 standalone VR headset available for pre-order for $299, Facebook has decided to completely leave the PC-only VR headset business. Oculus Quest 2 specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 platform with AI acceleration capability similar to Snapdragon 865 System Memory – 6GB RAM Storage – 64GB or 256GB flash Display Dual 1832 x 1920 pixel (per eye) display @ 90 Hz IPD Adjustment – 58mm, 63mm or 68mm Audio Integrated speakers and microphone, 3.5 mm audio jack Connectivity – WiFi, Bluetooth (but no audio support due to latency) Tracking Technology – Oculus Insight inside-out 6-DoF tracking with motion controllers USB – USB-C cable for charging Battery – Good for 2 to 3 hours Dimensions – […]

February 28, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 5G VR Reference Design Comes with Dual 2Kx2K Display, Up to 7 Cameras

Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 was the first processor from the company dedicated to extended reality (XR) and virtual reality (VR) applications. It found its way in various hardware development kits, a well as Google Glass Enterprise Edition v2. We missed the company’s announcement of the Snapdragon XR2 platform with 5G support last December, but Qualcomm has now just unveiled the Snapdragon XR2 5G Reference Design to help OEMs shorten time to market. Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Platform Qualcomm did not provide detailed specifications, but the company claims Snapdragon XR2 delivers 2x the CPU and GPU performance, 4x more video bandwidth, 6x higher resolution and 11x AI improvement compared to Snapdragon 835 Mobile XR Platform. It’s also the first XR/VR platform to support seven concurrent cameras, optional 5G connectivity, and enables “true” MR (Mixed Reality) thanks to low latency camera pass-through. Some of the highlights of the processor include: Up to 3K by 3K resolution per eye at 90 frames per second (fps) […]

January 9, 2020January 9, 2020 by Karl Johnson - 9 Comments

Virtual Desktop and Oculus Quest Tips & Tricks

Hey, Karl here. I wanted to share some experimenting I did with the Oculus Quest we purchased as a family gift for Christmas. One of the features I was looking forward to was wirelessly streaming VR games from my PC. It is not officially supported by Oculus but Virtual Desktop allows you to do this. Virtual Desktop is an app that can be purchased through the Oculus store. Unfortunately, there are a couple of steps that need to be taken to stream VR to the headset. Oculus forced VD to remove the emulated VR feature in its official store version. Once it is purchased you can then sideload the emulated VR version through Side Quest. Side Quest is a simple tool that makes sideloading apps easy and has a bunch of demo and games that aren’t in the Oculus store. The instructions are easy to follow on the Side Quest website. I wanted to share a quick tip on how […]

October 11, 2019October 11, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Intrinsyc Unveils Open-Q 845 µSOM and Snapdragon 845 Mini-ITX Development Kit

Intrinsyc introduced the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 hardware development platform last year with its Open-Q 845 HDK designed for OEMs and device makers. But the company has now just announced a solution for embedded systems and Internet of Things (IoT) products with Open-Q 845 micro system-on-module (µSOM) powered by the Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor, as well as a complete development kit featuring the module and a Mini-ITX baseboard. Open-Q845 µSOM Specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon SDA845 octa-core processor with 4x Kryo 385 Gold cores @ 2.649GHz + 4x Kryo 385 Silver low-power cores @ 1.766GHz cores, Hexagon 685 DSP, Adreno 630 GPU with OpenGL ES 3.2 + AEP (Android Extension Pack), DX next, Vulkan 2, OpenCL 2.0 full profile System Memory – 4GB or 6GB dual-channel high-speed LPDDR4X SDRAM at 1866MHz Storage – 32GB or 64GB UFS Flash Storage Connectivity Wi-Fi 5 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5Ghz 2×2 MU-MIMO (WCN3990) with 5 GHz external PA & U.FL antenna connector Bluetooth 5.x Audio & […]

May 1, 2019May 1, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Facebook Oculus Quest Standalone VR Headset Launched for $399 and up

One year ago, Facebook introduced their very first standalone virtual reality headset with Oculus Go. At $199 the price was fairly attractive, but the headset only supported 3DOF motion tracking. The company announced a new model at F8 2019. Oculus Quest is equipped with a more powerful Snapdragon 835 processor, two 1600 x 1440 displays, and support for 6DOF (degrees of freedom) virtual reality thanks to two handheld motion controllers. Oculus Quest specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor with 4x high performance Kryo 280 cores @ 2.20 GHz/ 2.30 GHz (single core operation), 4x low power Kryo 280 cores @ 1.9 GHz, Adreno 540 GPU System Memory – 4GB RAM Storage – 64GB or 128GB flash storage Display – 2x 1600×1440 OLED displays up to 72 Hz Camera – 4x wide-angle tracking cameras for inside-out position tracking Audio – Integrated speakers, 2x 3.5mm audio jacks Battery – Lithium-Ion battery good for about two to three hours Dimensions – […]

May 30, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 is a Dedicated eXtended reality (XR) platform For XR / VR Headset

Qualcomm has unveiled its first Snapdragon XR platform specifically designed for extended / augmented / virtual reality headsets during a launch event leading up to the Augmented World Expo (AWE). Snapdragon XR1 features the usual Arm based Kryo cores, Adreno GPU, Hexagon DSP, ISP, and so on, but for whatever reason, the company did not disclose details specifications about the platform / SoC. XR1 also provides Qualcomm AI Engine for on-device processing, as well as an advanced XR software service layer, machine learning, the Snapdragon XR Software Development Kit (SDK) and Qualcomm Technologies connectivity and security technologies. Advanced vision processing capabilities of the SoC enabled technologies such as Visual Inertial Odometry (VIO) The XR1 platform will be for higher headsets with 3 to 6 degrees of freedom (3DoF, 6DoF), support ultra high-definition 4K video resolution at up to 60 frames per second, and offer reduced unwanted noise using its Spectra Image Signal Processor (ISP). The solution also packs some audio […]

May 9, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Microsoft Introduces Project Kinect for Azure

Kinect started as as motion sensing input device for Xbox 360 & One game consoles with an integrated webcam, infrared projector, and a microphone array, which enabled it to detect depth, motion, and voice from gamers. But it also become popular with maker projects due to price and capabilities, and was even found to be a worthy microphone array for voice commands. The third generation of Kinect went into Hololense mixed reality headset, and Microsoft has just unveiled the fourth generation Kinect with Project Kinect for Azure. AFAIK, the company did not provide the full technical details about the new Kinect, but we know it comes with an RGB camera, a 360-degree mic array, an accelerometer, and a time-of-flight (ToF) depth-sensor, and the company did offer some details about the latter : Number of pixels: 1024×1024 resolution Highest Figure of Merit (highest modulation frequency and modulation contrast resulting in low power consumption with overall system power of 225-950mw) Automatic per […]