Hillcrest Labs, a provider of motion control technology and interactive television applications, announced this week a new motion control system for TV manufacturers. The solution is designed to support new motion pointing and gesture-enabled user interfaces for navigating applications and games on televisions.
Hillcrest's system is integrated with Broadcom's new digital TV system-on-a-chip and single-chip Bluetooth solution, enabling a "turn-key" motion control solution for connected televisions. In addition at the CES event happening in Las Vegas this week, Universal Electronics, a manufacturer of TV remotes, will showcase its new TV remote control, utilizing the digital 3-axis MEMS gyroscope from InvenSense, that is compatible with the new system from Broadcom and Hillcrest.
"As the demand for Internet-based content on TV continues to rise, manufacturers are seeking differentiated, turn-key, and economical solutions that enable immersive and intuitive user experiences for consumers," said Chad Lucien, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hillcrest Labs. "We are proud to have collaborated with Broadcom and the market leaders in remote controls and MEMS devices to create a turnkey solution that enables TV manufactures to quickly add motion control, pointing applications, and Bluetooth to connected televisions."
"Broadcom is at the forefront of producing very low power chipsets that will enable a growing portfolio of innovative remote control devices for Internet-connected TVs and home entertainment devices," said Craig Ochikubo, Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's Wireless Personal Area Networking line of business. "We are very pleased to have worked with Hillcrest Labs to incorporate their pioneering technology into our new class of Bluetooth and digital TV chipsets."
According to Hillcrest, unlike alternative motion control technologies, both the new chipset and compatible TV remotes use fully-integrated motion sensors that do not require additional external cameras or lightbars in order to control the onscreen viewing experience. In addition, the solution does not require line-of-site, which enables consumers to control their TVs without the need to aim at the TV. The new system is compatible with a variety of smart TV platforms including Linux, Android or Google TV-based solutions.
Broadcom is a supplier of Bluetooth wireless technologies to consumer electronics and media devices. As a provider of solutions for digital TV, set-top box, Blu-ray disc players and other technologies, Broadcom is able to help drive the proliferation of Bluetooth based gestural and other advanced remote controls. According to the company, Bluetooth is particularly well suited for the applications because they increasingly require higher data bandwidth than are available from other nascent radio technologies also targeting these devices.
Companies that have licensed Hillcrest's technolgoy for use in their products include Eastman Kodak, LG Electronics, Logitech, Sony Computer Entertainment and Universal Electronics. The company sells products to consumer electronics manufacturers, service providers, and consumers that enable unique, interactive digital media experiences for TVs and other digital media devices. Hillcrest licenses its motion control technology, for use in consumer devices including remote controls, computer peripherals, and game controllers.
For consumers, Hillcrest sells the Loop pointer, an "in-air" mouse for TV that lets users control an onscreen cursor with a flick of the wrist and navigate the Web or their home media content on TV. Hillcrest Labs also offers the Kylo browser, a free desktop Web browser for TV. Based in Rockville, Maryland, Hillcrest Labs was founded in 2001 by Dan Simpkins. The company is funded by NEA, AllianceBernstein, Columbia Capital, and Grotech Ventures.
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