Qualcomm Announces Head Mounted Display Accelerator Program for VR Hardware Manu

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Qualcomm Announces Head Mounted Display Accelerator Program for VR Hardware Manufacturers
-- New Program Provides Manufacturers with Reference Design Products and Increased Access to Testing and Resources --


       
BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) through its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., announced the launch of its Head Mounted Display (HMD) Accelerator Program designed for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of virtual reality hardware. This virtual reality industry-first program is designed to help manufacturers reduce engineering costs, decrease the time it takes to create and ship new products, and provide means for OEMs to validate performance metrics.

"The HMD Accelerator Program is designed to increase scale and lower the barriers for manufacturers to create a cutting-edge HMD effectively and efficiently with pre-validated components while meeting required VR performance criteria," said Cristiano Amon, executive vice president, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and president, QCT. "Qualcomm Technologies has laid the groundwork for consistent, successful and flexible product development so manufacturers can have a commercial product available within just a few months."

The Qualcomm Technologies HMD Accelerator Program is a catalyst for hardware manufacturers focused on creating a virtual reality HMD of their own. Manufacturers will have access to reference design products and choose from a pre-qualified set of components. They have the choice of either building their own HMDs from reference design materials provided, or working with a trained, turnkey original design manufacturer (ODM) like Goertek® or Thundercomm to modify and the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 VR HMD to suit the manufacturer's commercial needs. VR tracking software from technology leaders like Leap Motion and SMI has also been pre-optimized on the Snapdragon 835 VR HMD to accelerate time to development. Furthermore, the program includes pre-defined quality metrics and methods of testing, accessories and more, to help manufacturers develop and deploy mobile VR HMDs that deliver the most immersive user experiences possible with Snapdragon 835.

The HMD Accelerator program follows the initial success of the Snapdragon 820 VR HMD reference design announced last September. Since that time, four ODMs have signed on with commercial designs; an additional five products have launched; and more are expected to launch later this year. As part of the HMD Accelerator Program, Qualcomm Technologies is making available a new HMD reference design, the Snapdragon 835 VR HMD. GoerTek® and Thundercomm are ODMs ready to engage on new OEM designs following the Snapdragon 835 VR HMD, and are working with global manufacturers for commercial designs.

Beginning today, partners and customers can take advantage of Qualcomm Technologies' latest premium system-on-chip, the Snapdragon 835 mobile platform. Next-generation chipsets will also follow the program.

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The Future of VR is Here: Qualcomm and Leap Motion Work Together to Demonstrate Natural Interaction for Mobile VR
-- Utilizing Qualcomm Technologies' Position Tracking and Leap Motion's Embedded Hand Tracking Technology, People can now Interact with Mobile VR Content Using Their Bare Hands --


       
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., in conjunction with Leap Motion, Inc. introduced the first pairing of a natural virtual reality interface on the Qualcomm™ Snapdragon® 835 mobile platform. For the VR enthusiast, this demonstration of Qualcomm Technologies' positional tracking with Leap Motion hand tracking is engineered to offer immersive presence in the virtual world and the power to transform that world with one's bare hands. For the broader VR ecosystem, this relationship ushers in the future of natural human computer interaction for mobile standalone HMDs, and sets a new standard for mobile VR content development.

"As we deliver the new Snapdragon mobile platform for greater immersion with untethered virtual reality HMDs, natural user interfaces like hand movements will help consumers more intuitively interact with VR content and transform the consumer experience. We're thrilled to work closely with a VR technology leader like Leap Motion so that we can make that possible," said Tim Leland, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 was designed to combine six degrees of positional tracking, high VR frame rates, immersive audio and enhanced 3D graphics with real-time rendering in a compact, stand-alone headset for the ultimate VR experience."

In order for virtual reality to become ubiquitous, it must deliver on the promise of simulating physical presence in real or imagined worlds. This degree of immersion in VR is only possible when virtual visuals, interactions, and sounds become sufficiently close to our real world experiences. 

"Technology works best when technology disappears," said David Holz, chief technology officer, Leap Motion. "Untethered, mobile VR headsets with intuitive, hand-based interaction and position tracking bring a level of quality, immersion, and accessibility to VR unlike anything that's been seen before. This relationship with a mobile VR processing leader like Qualcomm Technologies is an important step towards making virtual reality truly ubiquitous, and we believe it has the potential to fundamentally transform the makeup of the human experience."

The combination of the Snapdragon 835 mobile platform and Leap Motion's cutting-edge hand tracking technology, which renders the precise movement of hands and fingers with very low latency, is designed to allow developers to tap into an incredible software and hardware ecosystem. 

To experience this technology first-hand, join Qualcomm Technologies and Leap Motion at the upcoming Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco from February 27 to March 3 at booth #2024 in the Moscone Center South Hall. For those attending Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona from February 27 to March 2, you can try this latest technology at the Qualcomm booth #3E10 (Hall 3) in the Fira Gran Via.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm's technologies powered the smartphone revolution and connected billions of people. We pioneered 3G and 4G – and now we are leading the way to 5G and a new era of intelligent, connected devices. Our products are revolutionizing industries, including automotive, computing, IoT, healthcare and data center, and are allowing millions of devices to connect with each other in ways never before imagined. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including, our QCT semiconductor business. For more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

About Leap Motion

Leap Motion's mission is to remove the barriers between people and technology. Their unprecedented hand tracking technology—a combined suite of software and hardware—lets you reach into virtual and augmented reality to interact with new worlds. The company was founded in 2010 by David Holz and Michael Buckwald, and is currently partnering with major headset manufacturers to embed Leap Motion technology into mobile VR/AR products across the globe.  Leap Motion is privately funded and headquartered in San Francisco, CA.  For more information, visit www.leapmotion.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.