Engineering:ZCam

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ZCam is a brand of time-of-flight camera products for video applications by Israeli developer 3DV Systems. The ZCam supplements full-color video camera imaging with real-time range imaging information, allowing for the capture of video in 3D.

The original ZCam,[fn 1] released in 2000,[4] was an ENG video camera add-on used for digital video compositing.[5][6] Before agreeing in March 2009[7] to sell its assets to Microsoft,[8] 3DV had planned to release a ranging video webcam (previously called the Z-Sense), also under the name ZCam.[fn 1] The ZCam webcam was one of several competing real-time range imaging camera products in development that target home game controller applications.[fn 2]

Technology

The ZCam's time-of-flight camera system features a near-infrared (NIR) pulse illumination component, as well as an image sensor with a fast gating mechanism. Based on the known speed of light, ZCam coordinates the timing of NIR pulse wave emissions from the illuminator with the gating of the image sensor, so that the signal reflected from within a desired depth range is captured exclusively. The amount of pulse signal collected for each pixel corresponds to where within the depth range the pulse was reflected from, and can thus be used to calculate the distance to a corresponding point on the captured subject.[11][12]

Due to the fast timing required for light-based time-of-flight, the ZCam uses custom hardware for illumination and gating. The illuminator is a series of NIR laser diodes around the lens barrel, switched by special high-speed driver circuits that produce pulses with a rise time and fall time of less than one nanosecond.[12] Previously using an image intensifier for gating the image sensor,[12] 3DV later developed a special solid-state image shutter, in the form of a gallium arsenide-based electro-optical chip that is mounted atop the image sensor.[13] The company was reportedly developing a gating solution based on less-expensive CMOS-process fabrication.[9]

The time-of-flight camera is optically matched with a corresponding video camera, allowing the RGB video and range imaging to integrated together. 3DV refers to the combination as "RGBD" (or RGB-D), in which "D" refers to a "depth" or "distance" channel.[12]

Webcam

Targeted primarily at the video game market, the ZCam webcam was designed to be used as a game controller like the EyeToy, using gesture recognition to interpret hand and body gestures for controlling the interface, but without many of the complications of a purely 2D-based computer vision approach.[14] Developing the device since 2005, 3DV completed the initial prototype in late 2006, and officially announced the product in late 2007.[15]

The ZCam webcam had a 60-degree field of view,[16] a frame rate of 60 Hz,[4] a 1.3 megapixel full color video resolution,[4] and an 8-bit[17] Quarter VGA[14] ranging resolution (320x240 pixels with 256 depth levels per pixel). Precision was fine as 1-2 centimeters, with a practical ranging limit of 0.5–2.5 meters distance.[16] The webcam connected via a USB 2.0 interface.[18] Demonstrations included a boxing game,[19] an airplane demo,[18] Windows Media Center hand-gesture control,[18] and a body-gesture Second Life interface.[20]

3DV stated that the webcam would be priced comparably to other peripherals in the gaming market such as the PlayStation Eye: less than United States dollar 100,[17] with a bundled US$69.99 price mentioned as a possibility.[14] The webcam was to include software development kits for camera control and gesture recognition.[16] 3DV originally projected the ZCam to be released before the end of 2008,[14] then later revised the projection to 2009.[21] In March 2009, the company agreed to sell its assets including the ZCam to a third party,[7] later confirmed to be Microsoft.[8][22] Following these reports, it was speculated that Microsoft would use the ZCam technology for a motion-sensing controller system for the Xbox 360 video game console or its successor. This speculation increased in the month leading up to Microsoft's announcement of the Kinect 3D depth-sensing device at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo, during which leaked information about that device prompted frequent comparisons with the ZCam.[23]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The name has been formatted several different ways, including "ZCAM"[1] and "Zcam".[2] Although the "ZCam" styling had been used for the studio camera add-on,[3] the 3DV website currently refers to the original product as "Z-Cam", and the webcam product as "ZCam".[4]
  2. ↑ Other companies developing competing cameras included Canesta and PrimeSense.[9][10]

References

  1. ↑ "3DV Systems Ltd. Introduces ZCAM, World's First Real-Time 3D Studio Camera". 3DV Systems. 1999-04-19. http://www.3dvsystems.com/news/release1.html. 
  2. ↑ "JVC enters strategic alliances with cutting edge technology leaders". JVC. 2000-04-10. http://pro.jvc.com/pro/pr/nab/alliance.htm. 
  3. ↑ "Products". 3DV Systems. http://www.3dvsystems.com/products/products.html#zcam. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Product Evolution". 3DV Systems. http://www.3dvsystems.com/technology/product.html#1. 
  5. ↑ "ZCAM 3D Camera". JVC Professional. JVC. 2003-09-24. http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/features.jsp?model_id=MDL101309. 
  6. ↑ Richard Marks (2004-01-21). EyeToy: A New Interface for Interactive Entertainment (Windows Media v7). Stanford University. Event occurs at 58:24. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Elron Group company 3DV signs definitive asset sale agreement". Elron Electronic Industries. 2009-03-29. http://www.elron.com/uploaded/29%203%2009%20PR%203DV%20asset%20sale%20FINAL.pdf. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Shelah, Shmulik (2009-06-22). "Microsoft confirms 3DV acquisition". Globes. Tel Aviv: Globes Publisher Itonut. http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000460733. "[Microsoft corporate vice president of Israel Research & Development Moshe Lichtman] said, for the first time officially, that "the R&D center helped Microsoft in buying the intellectual property of 3DV Systems, and in the wake of that dozens of the company's employees were recruited to work at the development center.""  Alt URL
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Takahashi, Dean (2009-05-29). "Peeling back another layer of detail on Microsoft's secret gesture-control system for games". VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/2009/05/29/peeling-back-another-layer-of-detail-on-microsofts-secret-gesture-control-system-for-games/. 
  10. ↑ Johnson, R. Colin (2009-02-04). "3D sensor moves from car to CE". EE Times. TechInsights. http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=213001764. 
  11. ↑ Katz, Sagi (2008-02-28). "Boxing with ZCam (part 1)". Engineering TV. Penton Media. http://engineeringtv.com/blogs/etv/archive/2008/02/28/boxing-with-zcam.aspx.  Alt URL
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Iddan, Gavriel J.; Yahav, Giora (2001-01-24). "3D imaging in the studio (and elsewhere…)". Proceedings of SPIE (San Jose, CA: SPIE) 4298: pp. 48. 2003-04-29. doi:10.1117/12.424913. http://www.3dvsystems.com/technology/3D%20Imaging%20in%20the%20studio.pdf. 
  13. ↑ Captain, Sean (2008-05-01). "Out of Control Gaming". PopSci.com. Popular Science. http://www.popsci.com/gear-gadgets/article/2008-05/out-control-gaming. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Nutt, Christian (2008-01-17). "Q&A: 3DV's Barel On The Future Of Camera-Based Game Control". Gamasutra. Think Services. http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=16637. 
  15. ↑ "3DV Systems announces ZCam, low cost real-time depth sensing camera". 3DV Systems. 2007-12-02. http://www.3dvsystems.com/news/ZCam%20Release%20FINAL%2012%202%2007%20(3).pdf. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "ZCam Product Data Sheet" (JPEG). StudioGE. p. 2. https://www.engadget.com/photos/microsofts-project-natal-roots-revealed-3dv-systems-zcam-2/2056911. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "3DV Announces ZCam Real Time 3D Camera for the PC". PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. 2008-01-08. https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2247044,00.asp. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Barel, Tomer (2008-02-07). "ZCam - CES 2008: Interview" (Flash Video). GameTrailers. http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30369.html. 
  19. ↑ Flier, Rich (2008-02-28). "Boxing with ZCam (part 2)". Engineering TV. Penton Media. http://engineeringtv.com/blogs/etv/archive/2008/02/28/boxing-with-zcam.aspx.  Alt URL
  20. ↑ Markoff, John (2008-04-11). "The Coming of the Holodeck". Bits Blog. The New York Times Company. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/the-coming-of-the-holodeck/index.html. 
  21. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (2008-07-10). "3DV fleshes out gesture-based gaming plans, hires North American chief". VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/2008/07/10/3dv-fleshes-out-gesture-based-gaming-plans-hires-north-american-chief/. 
  22. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (2009-02-21). "Sources confirm Microsoft is buying 3DV Systems". VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/2009/02/21/sources-confirm-microsoft-is-buying-3dv-systems/. 
  23. ↑ Thorsen, Tor (May 12, 2009). "Xbox 360 motion-sensing camera in development - WSJ". Gamespot. http://www.gamespot.com/news/6209568.html. 

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