Spreadtrum and uSens jointly launch an augmented reality (AR) mobile solution targeting the global mainstream market. 

The pre-installed Smartphone AR engine will bring tens of millions of people into the AR revolution for the first time 

As the affiliate of Tsinghua Unigroup, Spreadtrum Communications ("Spreadtrum"), a leading fabless semiconductor company in China with advanced technology in 2G, 3G, and 4G wireless communications standards together with uSens, a pioneer in HCI, inside-out tracking solutions for augmented and virtual reality, released the first AR (Augmented Reality) smartphone engine catering to the mainstream market at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018 in Las Vegas, on Jan 11.

The AR mobile solution, an outcome of the joint development on the Spreadtrum SC9853I chipset platform between the two parties, is built into the default Spreadtrum camera lib and can realize stable and smooth AR camera effects. With 14 nm 8-core 64-bit Intel Airmont architecture processor, Spreadtrum SC9853I reaches 1.8 GHz in dominant frequency, and possesses efficient mobile computing performance and ultra-low power dissipation management. While the self-developed core AR technology provided by uSens is based on monocular RGB cameras, delivering a position accuracy of up to 1mm. This Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) based inside-out 6DOF positional tracking solution is designed from the ground up for mobile devices through advanced machine learning and computer vision techniques to achieve high stability.

Compared with the AR solutions only applicable to top models in the market (ARKit by Apple and ARCore by Google), the Spreadtrum-uSens joint solution boasts a more extensive algorithm, less restrictions for adaptive models, and lower CPU utilization (only one-fourth of ARcore in tests). More importantly, the Spreadtrum-uSens mobile AR program not only runs smoothly in several high-end mobile phones, but also shows strong adaptability and stable performance in popular mainstream mobile phones.

The cooperation helps both parties to consolidate their own resources advantages. The technical advantages of uSens will help to strengthen the strategic deployment of Spreadtrum in the field of AR mobile, while Spreadtrum's broad mobile user base is undoubtedly a considerable attraction to developers - which may generate more possibilities for the scene-based and commercial applications of mobile AR technologies.

"Spreadtrum has always been committed to providing differentiated and diversified product portfolios for consumers all over the globe. Working together with uSens will further enhance Spreadtrum's strategic layout in mobile AR, so as to continue offering premium solutions integrating leading technologies and optimal benefits to our customers and hundreds of millions of smartphone users," said Mr. Adam Zeng, Global Executive Vice President of Tsinghua Unigroup and CEO of Spreadtrum. "The cooperation between Spreadtrum and uSens will go a long way towards filling the huge gap in the market for AR solutions for mainstream mobile phones. It will capture the benefits from resource integration, and boost a powerful, mutually-beneficial alliance between Chinese brands in the field of mobile AR."

"In 2017 we began to see the great potential of smartphone AR, but for the industry to thrive, more than just the owners of expensive smartphone hardware should be brought into the AR revolution," said Yue Fei, founder and CTO of uSens, "Spreadtrum is the perfect partner to expand the reach of AR to everyone through their wide distribution of high quality, but affordable smartphones. Through the partnership with Spreadtrum, the pre-install capacity of our AR engine will reach tens of millions 2018. We are excited for the reception from the user base and this announcement will come as a big win for the entire AR industry."

About Spreadtrum Communications

As an affiliate of Tsinghua Unigroup, Ltd, Spreadtrum Communications is a fabless semiconductor company that develops mobile chipset platforms for smartphones, feature phones and other consumer electronics products, supporting 2G, 3G and 4G wireless communications standards. Spreadtrum's solutions combine its highly integrated, power-efficient chipsets with customizable software and reference designs in a complete turnkey platform, enabling customers to achieve faster design cycles with a lower development cost. Spreadtrum's customers include global and China-based manufacturers developing mobile products for consumers in China and emerging markets around the world. At the same time, Spreadtrum has been at the forefront of 5G technology development. In addition to mobile chipsets, Spreadtrum has developed its innovative solutions on IoT( automotive terminal, broadband communication, financial security and secure phone etc). For more information, please visit www.spreadtrum.com.

About uSens, Inc.

Founded in 2013, San Jose-based uSens, Inc. closes the gap between Virtual Reality and the real world. The pioneering ARVR company provides inside-out, 26DOF hand and 6DOF head position tracking technologies for Augmented and Virtual Reality experiences. With domain expertise in 3D HCI technology, computer vision, and artificial intelligence, uSens is leading the industry to achieve Super Reality, a truly immersive and natural ARVR experience. For more information, visit www.usens.com and follow @usensinc.