Qualcomm announced new SoCs aimed at the smart camera market. The first products in the Vision Intelligence Platform, built using 10nm FinFET production, are the QCS605 and QCS603 SoCs, featuring on-device camera processing and machine learning.
The SoCs integrate Qualcomm Technologies’ most advanced image signal processor to date and the Qualcomm Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engine, along with a heterogeneous compute architecture including an ARM-based multicore CPU, vector processor and GPU. The Vision Intelligence Platform also includes Qualcomm Technologies’ advanced camera processing software, machine learning and computer vision software development kits along with connectivity and security features.
Qualcomm said the platform is optimized to support new possibilities for industrial and consumer smart security cameras, sports cameras, wearable cameras, virtual reality 360 and 180 cameras, robotics and smart displays. Kedacom and Ricoh Theta are among the first customers for the chips.
The Vision Intelligence Platform supports up to 4K video resolution at 60 frames per second, or 5.7K at 30 fps, as well as multiple concurrent video streams at lower resolutions. It uses the dual 14-bit Qualcomm Spectra 270 ISP supporting dual 16 megapixels sensors. Advanced vision processing capabilities necessary for IoT segments include staggered HDR to prevent the 'ghost' effect in high-dynamic range video, advanced electronic image stabilization, de-warp, de-noise, chromatic aberration correction, and motion compensated temporal filters in hardware.
Connectivity options include 2x2 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MU-MIMO and dual band simultaneous transmission, Bluetooth 5.1, Qualcomm 3D Audio Suite, Qualcomm Aqstic Audio Technologies and Qualcomm aptX Audio. The platform also features Qualcomm Noise and Echo Cancellation, as well as advanced on-device audio analytics and processing features to support natural language processing, audio speech recognition, and 'barge-in' capability for a reliable voice interface even in loud or noisy environments or when users are far from the device.
The QCS605 and QCS603 are sampling now, with multiple SKUs designed to meet a variety of technical and cost requirements. QCS605-based VR 360 camera reference designs from Qualcomm and Altek are available today, and QCS603-based industrial security camera reference designs are expected to be available in the second half of 2018.
