A new consortium--the Embedded Vision Alliance (EVA; www.embedded-vision.com)--aims to enable the proliferation of embedded vision technology by providing design engineers with information, practical know-how, and industry standards. BDTI, Xilinx, and IMS Research initiated the EVA and are being joined by Analog Devices, Apical, Avnet Electronics Marketing, CEVA, CogniVue, Freescale, National Instruments, NVIDIA, Texas Instruments, Tokyo Electron Device, MathWorks, Ximea, and XMOS as founding members. The companies say they share the belief that incorporating vision capabilities into future products will bring dramatic benefits to users and provide high-growth opportunities in consumer, medical, automotive, entertainment, industrial, and retail markets.
"Adding computer vision to embedded systems creates phenomenal new products, markets, and opportunities," according to Jeff Bier, president of BDTI.www.BDTI.com "Just look at the Microsoft Kinect, which added vision to the Xbox 360—-it became the fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history, shipping more than 10 million units in 5 months. But that's just a small part of the story. From automobiles that prevent accidents to security cameras that prevent crimes, embedded vision will proliferate across a multitude of markets."
"The momentum behind embedded vision applications is growing at an astounding rate and industry collaboration is needed to enable the technology's smooth adoption in new markets," said Vin Ratford, senior vice president of worldwide marketing and business development at Xilinx.
As a first step, the Embedded Vision Alliance is launching a website that will serve as a source of practical information to help design engineers incorporate vision capabilities in new systems. The EVA's future plans include newsletters, educational webinars, industry reports, technology standards, and other related activities. Everyone is free to access the information on the website, which is maintained through member and industry contributions.
Ian Weightman, president of market research firm IMS Research, declared, "IMS Research is proud to be one of the founding members of the Embedded Vision Alliance. The EVA shares our vision of a future where embedded computer vision positively impacts many aspects of our daily lives. With hundreds of companies now developing embedded vision components, products, and applications, the EVA can become the pivotal hub that not only educates companies on the potential of embedded vision, but also enables the industry to share ideas and best practices. This will be essential for the technology to reach its true potential, and we look forward to supporting the Embedded Vision Alliance in its objectives."
SOURCE: Embedded Vision Alliance - www.embedded-vision.com
--Posted by Vision Systems Design
