Last week, Orbbec revealed three new cameras developed in collaboration with Microsoft based on its Time-of-Flight (iToF) depth sensing technology seen on the HoloLens 2. The cameras target different applications including logistics, robotics, manufacturing and many other computer-vision applications.

The new cameras are called the Femto Bolt, Femto Mega, and Femto Mega I. Some key features of these devices include: they are 1-megapixel depth cameras with a wide 120° field of view (FOV) and a broad range from 0.25m to 5.5m.

Additionally, they are combined with a high-performance 4K resolution RGB camera with a 90° FOV. Furthermore, each camera includes a 6DOF IMU module that provides orientation data.

     

Orbbec states that the Azure Kinect Developer Kit and the Femto Bolt share identical depth camera modes and performance. However, the Femto Bolt’s color camera has been enhanced with HDR support. For further details, refer to the comparison table below.

On the other hand, the Femto Mega I and the Femto Mega are built around the NVIDIA Jetson embedded platform. Some of the main differences between these two devices is that the Mega I offers IP65 dust/water protection and it has an industrial grade M12-X coding ethernet port with PoE support.

       

The product announcement mentions that “Orbbec devices built with Microsoft’s iToF technology use the same depth camera module as Azure Kinect Developer Kit and offer identical operating modes and performance. Developers can effortlessly migrate their existing applications to Orbbec’s cameras by using the API bridge provided as part of their SDK.”

In terms of software development, the company will soon release an upgraded Orbbec 3D Club as the go-to place for 3D vision AI developers. Additionally, these new cameras will be supported by Orbbec SDK for easier integration.

       

Specifications listed for the FEMTO MEGA I include:

• Wavelength: 
  • 850nm
• Technology: 
  • Time of Flight
• Depth Field of View (FoV):
  • H 120° V 120° (WFOV)
  • H 75° V 65° (NFOV)
• RGB Field of View (FoV):
  •  H 80° V 51°
• Depth Resolution Framerate:
  • Up to 1024 x 1024 @ 15fps (WFOV)
  • 640×576 @ 30fps (NFOV)
• RGB Resolution Framerate:
  • 3840×2160 @ Up to 25 FPS
  • 1920×1080 @ Up to 30 FPS
• Range:
  •  0.25-3.86m (depending on depth mode)
• Data Output:
  •  Point Cloud, Depth Map, IR & RGB
• Operating Systems: 
  • Windows/Linux
• Power Consumption: 
  • Average < 11W
• Operating Temperature:
  •  0°C – 45°C
• Mechanical: 
  • 180mm x 50mm x 110mm
  • 1080g

Specifications listed for the FEMTO MEGA include:

• Processor: 
  • Nvidia Jetson Nano
• Accuracy:
  • < 11 mm + 0.1% distance
• Depth FOV:
  • NFoV unbinned & binned: H 75° V 65°
  • WFoV unbinned & binned: H 120° V 120°
• RGB FOV:
  • H 80° V 51° D 89°
• RGB Resolution Framerate:
  • 3840×2160 @ Up to 25 FPS
  • 1920×1080 @ Up to 30 FPS
• Depth Resolution Framerate:
  • WFOV unbinned 1024×1024 @ Up to 15 FPS
  • WFOV 2×2 binned 512×512 @ Up to 30 FPS
  • NFOV unbinned 640×576 @ Up to 30 FPS
  • NFOV 2×2 binned 320×288 @ Up to 30 FPS
• Range:
  • WFOV unbinned 0.5-3.86m
  • WFOV 2×2 binned 0.5-5.46m
  • NFOV unbinned 0.25-2.88m
  • NFOV 2×2 binned 0.25-2.21m
• Data Transfer:
  •  USB 3.0 Ethernet
• IMU:
  •  6DoF IMU
• Sync:
  •  8-Pin Connector
• Operating Systems:
  • Windows/Linux
  • Orbbec SDK
• Certifications:
  • Class 1, FCC, RoHS 2.0, CE
• Operating Temperature: 
  • 10°C to 25°C
• Power Supply:
  •  5V/3A (USB Type C, PoE)
  • DC – 11W
  • POE – 13W

Specifications listed for the FEMTO Bolt include:

• Depth Technology:: 
  • ToF
• Wavelength:
  • 850nm
• Depth Resolution Framerate:
  • Up to 1024 x 1024 @ 15fps (WFOV)
  • 640 x 576 @ 30fps (NFOV)
• Depth Field of View (FoV):
  • H 120° V 120° (WFOV)
  • H 75° V 65° (NFOV)
• RGB Resolution Framerate:
  • 3840 x 2160 @ Up to 25 FPS
• RGB FOV:
  • H 80 x V 51
• Processing:
  • Host PC
• IMU:
  • Supported
• USB:
  • USB 3.2 Type-C Gen1
• Power:
  • DC 12/2A (via USB Type-C)
  • 4.35W (average)
• Operating Temperature:
  • 10°C to 25°C
• Data Output:
  • Point cloud, depth map, IR & RGB
• Mechanical:
  • 115mm x 40mm x 65mm
  • 335g

Further information

An Orbbec representative indicated that the Femto Bolt is a commercial device with warranty and it will be sold globally. The camera is estimated to cost $399.00 similarly as the Azure Kinect Dev Kit. For more details, refer to the waitlist page. 

The Femto Mega I is priced at $2099.99, whereas the Femto Mega is available for $649.99.