Orbbec, in partnership with Microsoft, has unveiled the Femto Bolt, a 3D depth and RGB USB-C camera. This camera integrates Microsoft's Time-of-Flight (ToF) technology, similar to what's found in the Microsoft Azure Kinect camera module and HoloLens 2 mixed reality head-mounted display. Microsoft has also just announced to cease the production of its Azure Kinect Developer Kit.
New Additions to the Femto Series
Following the release of the fully integrated Femto Mega, which features an NVIDIA Jetson Nano module and the same ToF technology, the Femto Bolt offers a broader choice of hosts. Additionally, Orbbec has introduced the Femto Mega I variant, which comes with an IP65 metal enclosure.
The Femto Bolt is anticipated to be utilized in sectors such as logistics, robotics, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and fitness. While samples are currently available, mass production is set for October.
In comparison to the now cancelled Azure Kinect Developer Kit, Femto Bolt achieves a more compact form factor for easy mounting. Depth camera modes and performance are identical to the Azure Kinect Developer Kit, while the color camera has of Femto Bolt comes with HDR support. A sophisticated trigger sync mechanism has been implemented for multi-sensor and multi-camera networks. The microphone array has been eliminated.
Femto Bolt Specifications and Features
The Femto Bolt's specifications include:
- Depth camera with a 1 Mega Pixel ToF sensor, 850nm wavelength, and a range between 0.25 to 5.45m.
- RGB camera offering 4K resolution.
- A 6 DoF IMU sensor.
- USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 interface.
- Power consumption averaging 5.9 Watts.
The camera is compatible with the Orbbec SDK for both Windows and Linux. This SDK also features an Azure Kinect Sensor SDK Wrapper, allowing software developed for the Azure Kinect development kit to be compatible with Orbbec cameras.
Femto is continuing to offer its Femto Mega and Femto Mega I models:
“Femto Mega: Announced in January 2023 and currently in production, Femto Mega is still the industry's highest resolution smart camera. This device uses a built-in NVIDIA® Jetson™ Nano to run the advanced depth vision algorithms to convert raw data to precise depth images and thus, eliminates the need for an external PC or compute device. It also adds Power over Ethernet (PoE) connection for both data and power that is ideally suited for deployment where the camera must be placed away from the compute units or in multi-camera solutions. The developer mode SDK allows execution of AI models on the device.
Femto Mega I: Currently shipping, Femto Mega I is the industry's highest performance ruggedized intelligent camera with an IP65 rating for warehouses, manufacturing and other harsh environments.”
