Lattice Blog

Virtual reality (VR) is more than just captivating displays with fancy 3D graphics. Fluid feedback of users’ gestures, postures, movements and position is pivotal for a complete immersive experience. If the user’s actions cannot be quickly and accurately tracked, it would be impossible to realize the fighting scene...

Were you impressed by the products and technologies showcased at CES 2018? This year’s event promised to “WHOA” attendees with new gadgets from industry giants and startups alike. From the slightly odd to the “where have you been all of my life” devices, this year’s CES focused on infusing intelligence into as many aspects of our lives as possible.

I keep running into engineers who say “we can’t use FPGAs because they are too big, power hungry, and expensive!” While that’s true for many FPGAs, there are some FPGAs which defy the size, power, and cost stereotype. Thanks to these pioneers, FPGAs are no longer limited to network centers and are now becoming pervasive in edge devices you interact with daily.

The pieces are falling into place for the Virtual Reality (VR) market. As designers move to higher bandwidth designs, integrate higher resolution displays, reduce system latency, and improve gesture and head tracking, they are beginning to deliver truly immersive experiences to VR users. And as new technologies mature and more systems come to market, industry analysts are beginning to quote some compelling numbers.

Change is constant for embedded video system designers. Over the last few years designers have seen systems that incorporate mobile application processors with an entirely new level of capability, the adoption of new standard interfaces originally developed for the mobile consumer market, and the introduction of a new generation of lower cost image sensors and displays.

Imagine. You open your eyes and before you lies a broad, rocky valley on Mars. You are moving, unencumbered by a space suit, looking around, exploring this alien landscape. Or maybe you are on a quest, traveling through a dark forest with a team of trusty companions. You look up and you see the sunlight through the branches. You look to your left and see the glint of…wait is that a sword?