Advanced gesture recognition and sensing technology is coming to the 2013 CES! Etron Technology, Inc. launches its innovative Cougar Platform, a hardware-based USB3.0 Depth-Map Controller Platform with two cameras that enables gesture/skeleton control and 3D-video/image capture and works with various middleware and application software. Since the data size of captured images is too large to be managed by motherboard CPUs, Etron developed this platform for intensive data computation immediately post-sensing with a hardware-based depth-map engine.

As a result, Etron's Cougar Platform works smoothly with X86-based systems and ARM-based systems. It also provides synchronized dual HD (High Definition) video/image capture through a USB3.0 (uncompressed) or USB2.0 (compressed) interface. Etron will demonstrate its Cougar Platform at Booth No. 35114 in South Hall 4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) from January 8th to 11th.

Etron's Cougar Platform supports both short-distance (0.5 - 1.5 m) recognition, such as gesture control, and long-distance (1.5 - 4 m) recognition, such as skeleton control. It realizes full-range recognition by mapping different sensor/lens resolutions with various base lines (i.e., the distance between two sensors).

Unlike existing light-coding or TOF (Time of Flight) depth-map products, Etron's Cougar Platform does not require active IR light sources. As a result, the Cougar Platform is uniquely low cost and low power and achieves small form factors. This breakthrough technology thus enables system developers and manufacturers to build a wide range of next-generation applications in smartphones, tablets, game consoles, personal computers, notebooks, TVs, and other emerging settings.

By integrating IC design, software, hardware, and firmware expertise, Etron's Cougar Platform empowers today's hottest motion-sensing application developers and manufacturers to quickly incorporate gesture/skeleton control and 3D-video/image capture functionality into their newest and most exciting applications. The Cougar Platform SDK (System Development Kit) for middleware, application software, system, and solution developers will be available upon request.