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PrimeSense was an Israeli 3D sensing company based in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
. PrimeSense had offices in
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
, North America, Japan,
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
,
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. PrimeSense was bought by
Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. It is best known for its consumer electronics, software, and services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Comput ...
for $360 million on November 24, 2013.


History

PrimeSense was a fabless semiconductor company and provided products in the area of sensory inputs for consumer and commercial markets. PrimeSense's technology had been originally applied to gaming but was later applied in other fields. PrimeSense was best known for licensing the hardware design and chip used in Microsoft's
Kinect Kinect is a discontinued line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB color model, RGB cameras, and Thermographic camera, infrared projectors and detectors that map dep ...
motion-sensing system for the Xbox 360 in 2010. The company had been founded in 2005 to explore depth-sensing cameras which they had demonstrated to developers at the 2006
Game Developers Conference The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is an annual conference for video game developers. The event includes an expo, networking events, and awards shows like the Game Developers Choice Award for Game of the Year, Game Developers Choice Awards and ...
. Microsoft had been looking on its own at 3D camera technology applications to its
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as application software, applications (games), the streaming media, streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox networ ...
line of consoles, and engaged with PrimeSense after the conference to help establish the direction the technology needed to go to make it into consumer-grade products, while Microsoft improved on additional software aspects and incorporated
machine learning Machine learning (ML) is a field of study in artificial intelligence concerned with the development and study of Computational statistics, statistical algorithms that can learn from data and generalise to unseen data, and thus perform Task ( ...
to help with motion detection. On November 24, 2013, Apple Inc. confirmed the purchase of PrimeSense for $360 million.


Technology


Light coding technology

PrimeSense's depth acquisition was enabled by "light coding" technology. The process coded the scene with near-IR light, light that returns distorted depending upon where things are (
Structured light upright=1.3, A structured light pattern projected onto a surface (left) Structured light is a method that measures the shape and depth of a three-dimensional object by projecting a pattern of light onto the object's surface. The pattern can be ...
). The solution then used a standard off-the-shelf CMOS image sensor to read the coded light back from the scene using various algorithms to triangulate and extract the 3D data. The product analysed scenery in 3 dimensions with software, so that devices could interact with users.


Products


PrimeSense system on a chip (SoC)

The
CMOS Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS, pronounced "sea-moss ", , ) is a type of MOSFET, metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) semiconductor device fabrication, fabrication process that uses complementary an ...
image sensor worked with the visible video sensor to enable the
depth map In 3D computer graphics and computer vision, a depth map is an Digital image, image or Channel (digital image), image channel that contains information relating to the distance of the Computer representation of surfaces, surfaces of scene objec ...
provided by PrimeSense SoC's Carmine (PS1080) and Capri (PS1200) to be merged with the color image. The SoCs performed a registration process so the color image (RGB) and depth (D) information was aligned properly. The light coding infrared patterns were deciphered in order to produce a
VGA Video Graphics Array (VGA) is a video display controller and accompanying de facto graphics standard, first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, which became ubiquitous in the IBM PC compatible industry within three years. T ...
size depth image of a scene. It delivered visible video, depth, and audio information in a synchronized fashion via the
USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...
2.0 interface. The SoC had minimal CPU requirements as all depth acquisition algorithms ran on the SoC itself.


PrimeSense sensors

* Carmine 1.08 * Carmine 1.09 (short range) * Capri 1.25 (embedded) PrimeSense embedded its technology in its own sensors, the Carmine 1.08 and Carmine 1.09. Capri 1.25, touted by the company as the world's smallest 3D sensor, debuted at
International CES CES (; formerly an initialism for Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada, United States, the event ...
2013.


PrimeSense middleware

PrimeSense developed NiTE
middleware Middleware is a type of computer software program that provides services to software applications beyond those available from the operating system. It can be described as "software glue". Middleware makes it easier for software developers to imple ...
which analyzed the data from hardware and modules for OpenNI providing gesture and skeleton tracking. They were released only as binaries. According to the NiTE LinkedIn page: "Including computer vision algorithims, NiTE identifies users and tracks their movements, and provides the framework API for implementing natural-interaction UI controls based on gestures." The system could then interpret specific gestures, making completely hands-free control of electronic devices a reality. Including: * Identification of people their body properties, movements and gestures * Classification of objects such as furniture * Location of walls and floor


Markets

PrimeSense's original focus was on the gaming and living room markets, but expanded to include:


Television

*
Kinect Kinect is a discontinued line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB color model, RGB cameras, and Thermographic camera, infrared projectors and detectors that map dep ...
by
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
was powered by PrimeSense technology that allowed gamers to use their entire body to control play, action and movement of their onscreen characters.


PC and mobile

*WAVI Xtion for the PC by
ASUS ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (, , , ; stylized as ASUSTeK or ASUS) is a Taiwanese Multinational corporation, multinational computer, phone hardware and electronics manufacturer headquartered in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. Its products include deskto ...
used PrimeSense's core 3D sensing solution, developed primarily for browsing multimedia content, accessing Web sites and social networks when the PC was hooked up to the living room TV. * tructure SensorMobile 3D sensor by Occipital used a custom chip based on PrimeSense's 3D sensing solution. The sensor itself was designed to easily attach to a wide range of devices, including the Apple iPad, Android tablets and desktop platforms such as Windows, OS X and Linux.


Interactive displays

*Firecube SMART by Firecube Public Multimedia: An interactive multimedia solution for games, presentations and attractions in public spaces. *EyePlay by Eyeclick - an interactive video gaming system with 3D interactive projection capabilities. *ViiMotion by Covii:an Interactive Software Device, created to provide generic or custom interactive applications through computer vision. *Interactive Projector by Ayotle: an interactive solution that used a depth sensor to make any real or imaginary surface act like a tactile or contactless interactive device. *Finger Tracking MW by 3Gear Systems: a precise tracking system that used computer graphics algorithms for reconstructing the precise pose of the user's hands from 3D cameras


Retail

*SmartFit by Styku:a multi-channel retail platform for fit prediction and visualization *Bodymetrics pod by Bodymetrics: a full 3D body scanner that was designed to calculate measurements which are then analyzed and used to find suitable garments. *Matterport Pro 3D Camera by
Matterport Matterport LLC is an American 3D spatial mapping company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. It is a subsidiary of CoStar Group. The company was founded in 2011 as a private startup and subsequently merged with a special-purpose acquisition ...
: a consumer 3D camera that creates immersive panoramic tours with an underlying 3D mesh.


Robotics

*SAMI by Criif: PrimeSense sensors allow the humanoid robot to be fully autonomous in the house or specific environment.


Healthcare

*Ava by iRobot: an autonomous mobile robotics platform


Timeline

*2005 **PrimeSense is founded *2010 **
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
names PrimeSense as
Project Natal Kinect is a discontinued line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB cameras, and infrared projectors and detectors that map depth through either structured light or ...
partner *2011 **PrimeSense raises a round of private equity funding as part of its plan to expand its motion-control chips **PrimeSense is selected by
MIT Technology Review ''MIT Technology Review'' is a bimonthly magazine wholly owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was founded in 1899 as ''The Technology Review'', and was re-launched without "''The''" in its name on April 23, 1998, under then pu ...
for World's Ten Most Important Technologies *2012 **PrimeSense is selected as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer **Announces the launch of its next generation embedded 3D sensor, Capri 1.25


Partners

*Occipital *Covii *DotProduct *
Matterport Matterport LLC is an American 3D spatial mapping company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. It is a subsidiary of CoStar Group. The company was founded in 2011 as a private startup and subsequently merged with a special-purpose acquisition ...
*3Gear Systems * Ayotle *
Willow Garage Willow Garage was a robotics research lab and technology incubator devoted to developing hardware and open source software for personal robotics applications. The company was best known for its open source software suite Robot Operating Syste ...
*Open Perception
Shopperception
*SideKick *MediaStanza *ASUS, the only remaining source of sensors based on PrimeSense technology PrimeSense was a founding member of
OpenNI OpenNI or ''Open Natural Interaction'' is an industry-led non-profit organization and open source software project focused on certifying and improving interoperability of natural user interfaces and organic user interfaces for Natural Interaction ...
, an industry-led, non-profit organization formed to certify and promote the compatibility and interoperability of Natural Interaction (NI) devices, applications and middleware. The original OpenNI project was shut down by
Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
when they bought the open source software, but Occipital kept a forked version of OpenNI 2 active as an open source software for the SDK for their Structure Product. The company provided the 3D sensing technology for the first
Kinect Kinect is a discontinued line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB color model, RGB cameras, and Thermographic camera, infrared projectors and detectors that map dep ...
, previously known as
Project Natal Kinect is a discontinued line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB cameras, and infrared projectors and detectors that map depth through either structured light or ...
.


Awards

The company was selected by
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...
Technology Review magazine as one of world's 50 most innovative companies for 2011. PrimeSense won Design Team of the Year in
EE Times ''EE Times'' (''Electronic Engineering Times'') is an electronics industry magazine published in the United States since 1972. EE Times is currently owned by AspenCore, a division of Arrow Electronics since August 2016. Ownership and status '' ...
2011 Annual Creativity in Electronics (ACE) PrimeSense was honored as a
World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...
Technology Pioneer in 2013.


References


External links

*
PrimeSense: Beyond Natal

Kinect: The company behind the tech explains how it works

MatterPort Spain Barcelona
{{Apple Electronics companies established in 2005 2005 establishments in Israel Electronics companies of Israel Fabless semiconductor companies Semiconductor companies of Israel Apple Inc. acquisitions 2013 mergers and acquisitions Mergers and acquisitions of Israeli companies Israeli inventions