e-con unveils breakthrough reference design
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e-con Systems has launched the world's first stereo vision camera reference design based on Texas Instruments' OMAP/DM37x family of processors and Gumstix Overo COM series.
The reference design, code named Capella, includes a DM3730 based Gumstix Overo WaterStorm COM, a Gumstix Tobi expansion board and e-con's camera daughter board e-CAM_9V024_STEREO.
The Capella reference design comes with a software development kit with full source code for application development on top of V4L2 or OpenCV. According to e-con, this enables users to develop their own stereo vision camera based applications.
"TI is excited to see innovative solutions for the emerging stereo vision market from its valued ecosystem partners like e-con Systems," said Praveen K Ganapathy, director, Business Development, Texas Instruments. "With increasing, and more complex, demands for image processing applications like e-con Systems' Capella, there is a need for highly efficient processors that can deliver advanced user interface, improved graphics and video processing capabilities. Texas Instruments' OMAPTM/DM37x family of processors is designed to provide a scalable, high performance ultra low power platform that absolutely delivers the experience users expect."
Capella features 3D analytical applications such as machine vision, mobile robotics (obstacle detection) and automotive applications including computer aided navigation and driver guidance; 3D object reconstruction applications such as reconstructing 3D details of sculptures, monuments, human faces etc; 3D video recording and playback; and 2D synchronous dual camera applications where, two simultaneously captured images of same (or different) objects are required.
The reference design runs Linux 2.6.35 and has Ethernet, HDMI Video port, USB OTG port and a serial interface for Linux console. The stereo camera engine driver is V4L2 compatible and is available with an OpenCV interface patch allowing customers to develop applications based on plain V4L2 API or the OpenCV stack. The stereo engine driver exposes three V4L2 interfaces to the application developers to capture the left, right and combined left+right video streams. The SDK contains sample applications using both the V4L2 interface and also OpenCV stack.
