Point Grey USB 3.0 camera for machine and computer vision applications

The Flea3 USB 3.0 camera series measures 29 × 29 × 30 mm and is designed for machine and computer vision applications. The first available models are based on monochrome and color versions of the Sony IMX036, a CMOS sensor that generates 3.2 Mpixel images at 60 fps.
Point Grey
Richmond, BC, Canada
www.ptgrey.com

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PRESS RELEASE

Point Grey Launches SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Flea3 Camera

October 17, 2011 – Richmond, BC, Canada – Point Grey, a world leader of advanced digital camera technology, today announced another innovation in imaging with the release of its new Flea3 USB 3.0 camera series.

Measuring just 29 x 29 x 30mm, the FL3-U3 is the smallest USB 3.0 camera in the world and is designed specifically for the demanding requirements of machine and computer vision applications. The first available models are based on monochrome and color versions of the Sony® IMX036, a high-quality CMOS sensor capable of generating 3.2 megapixel images at 60 FPS.

"We are very excited to start production of our first USB 3.0 cameras and begin addressing the huge amount of demand we're seeing for this technology," says Michael Gibbons, Product Marketing Manager. Gibbons adds, "USB 3.0 is rapidly gaining industry acceptance, largely due to its higher bandwidth, improved reliability and architecture, and widespread availability on a variety of hardware platforms."

With a practical limit of 384 MBytes/s, USB 3.0 is almost 10 times faster than USB 2.0 and 5 times faster than FireWire-b. The increased data throughput and improved 4.5 W of power delivery further makes USB 3.0 well-suited for many of the high-speed, multi-megapixel area scan image sensors on the market today. Most laptop, desktop, and embedded systems now provide USB 3.0 ports, which maximizes system compatibility and minimizes the need for add-in PCI or PCI Express interface cards. Easy access to high quality, low cost components like cables and hubs also allows end users to lower the overall cost of their systems.

"While there is no single digital interface that works best for all vision applications, on technical merits alone USB 3.0 will be a strong contender, and will certainly become an important camera interface in the years to come," says Gibbons. "We are very excited about this release and we look forward to adding more Flea3 USB 3.0 models over the coming months. We also plan on introducing new USB 3.0-based product families, such as the upcoming Ladybug5 spherical camera."

The FL3-U3-32S2 (1/2.8-inch 2080x1552 at 60 FPS), list priced at USD $795, is available to order now from Point Grey and its network of distributors.

About Point Grey Research, Inc.

Point Grey Research, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the development of advanced digital camera technology products for machine vision, industrial imaging, computer vision, traffic and surveillance applications. Based in Richmond, BC, Canada, Point Grey designs, manufactures and distributes IEEE-1394 (FireWire), USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and Camera Link cameras that are known for their excellent quality, performance, and ease of use. A broad range of hardware, software and mechanical engineering skills has allowed Point Grey to successfully bring many innovative and ground-breaking products to market. This drive for innovation has led to many industry firsts, including the first and smallest 1394b digital camera.

Since being founded in January of 1997, the company's approach to product pricing, quality control, and customer service has attracted thousands of customers worldwide, and its organic growth through product sales has enabled the company to expand significantly without any outside investment. Point Grey currently employs more than 100 people worldwide, and has a wholly-owned subsidiary in Germany that provides sales and support services to customers in Europe, Africa, and Israel. Point Grey's office in Japan works closely with the company's network of distributors in Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, and Taiwan. For more information, visit www.ptgrey.com.

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