CEVA Launches Motion Engine Air Software
Hillcrest Labs combines algorithms and software stacks
Motion-based gestures, 3D motion tracking, and low power consumption

CEVA, a smart connected technology provider, contributes to the spread of motion control capabilities by providing sensor fusion solutions for consumer mobile devices.
CEVA unveiled Hillcrest Labs' next-generation sensor fusion product family on the 26th with the launch of MotionEngine Air software.

The solution provides low power consumption, motion-based gesture control, 3D motion tracking, and pointing capabilities in the mass-produced portable device market, including smartphones, PC stylus pens, smart TVs, OTT (Over the Top) remotes, game controllers, AR and VR controllers, and PC peripherals.

With the recent rapid expansion of wireless portable controllers, including Bluetooth, in the global market, experts predict that more than 500 million RF devices will be shipped by 2022.

Power consumption of the entire system, powered by new advancements in low-power inertial sensors and Bluetooth Low Energy along with Motion Engine Air Sensor Fusion softwareIt lowers the amount to a level below milliampere, while contributing to the spread of motion control functions for always-on power and always-on awareness user experience.

Motion Engine Air software is now fully ready for mass production and provides performance optimized for embedded devices.

Key features include: ▲ accurate pointing, gesture, and motion control algorithms; ▲ a cursor for point-and-click control in the screen UI; ▲ gestures such as flick, shake, tap, tilt, rotate, and circle for intuitive UI control; ▲ 6-axis sensor fusion enabling 3D motion tracking in games and VR; ▲ power saving when motion events such as pick-up, flip, and stability detectors occur; ▲ orientation correction and adaptive shake cancellation for a consistent and intuitive user experience; ▲ pre-certification of sensors from major inertial sensor vendors; ▲ integration and simplification of operating systems and software such as Android, Windows, MacOS, and Linux through a comprehensive software stack featuring host drivers and sensor management functions; and ▲ Arm Cortex M-based evaluation boards and related firmware.

In particular, as a low-power, small-memory-footprint solution that can run on various processors such as Arm Cortex M, RISC V, CEVA BX, and CEVA TeakLite DSP families, it has features that allow it to be used in full-featured solutions requiring accelerometers and gyroscopes (IMUs), as well as gesture and motion event-based solutions requiring only accelerometers.

Chad Lucien, Vice President and General Manager of CEVA’s Sensor Fusion Business Unit, stated, “Since MEMS inertial sensors were first used for remote control, Hillcrest Labs’ MotionEngine Air solution combines the most powerful capabilities of any solution created in the last 15 years.” He added, “Through OEM and ODM products, it can be easily integrated into commercial software RF SoCs or MCUs, enabling direct operation with battery-powered controllers, as well as "By applying precise motion control capabilities to mobile, PC, TV, AR/VR, games, and enterprise peripherals, we are now able to provide diverse user experiences," they stated.

Meanwhile, CEVA plans to participate in CES 2020, held in Las Vegas, USA from January 7 to 10, and demonstrate its Motion Engine Air software and evaluation board.