Qualcomm unveils depth sensing camera for Android

Qualcomm has announced an expansion to the Qualcomm Spectra Module Program, which is capable of capturing three-dimensional images and movements in real time and convert that data into digital form. This module program is built on the same technology that's behind the Qualcomm Spectra embedded image signal processors (ISP) family.

The Qualcomm Spectra module will have improved biometric authentication and high-resolution depth sensing that could be useful in a wide range of photo, video recording, and virtual reality applications.

“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 Technologies. “Our breakthrough advancements in visual quality and computer vision, combined with our family of integrated Qualcomm Spectra ISPs for Snapdragon, are designed to support an ecosystem of cutting edge mobile applications for our customers.”

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 uses Spectra image signal processors (ISPs), and it suggests that we’ll soon see smartphones and other devices with the ability to sense a 3D environment and turn it into something that a computer can understand.

“Qualcomm believes depth sensing to be the next mission critical must-have feature for smartphones. In addition, depth sensing will revolutionize standalone VR and AR headsets as tracking and object avoidance becomes more precise and hand-held controllers obsolete," Leland added.