Argon Design launches real-time video stitching IP

The prominence of 360-degree panoramic video (often termed immersive video or Cinematic VR) is increasing with users at all levels from consumer to film studio and there is now a high level of interest and support from companies such as Google and Facebook. Stitching of the video output from multiple image sensors is a crucial element in the capture of 360-degree panoramic content and doing this complex processing in real-time is essential for applications such a live streaming of sporting events or news. Real time stitching will be increasingly desirable for consumer products, where users increasingly expect live streaming capability for social media and the simplicity of a single output video file for upload to sites such as YouTube.

Using scalable hardware based technology, Argon360 offers a unique combination of high quality stitching in real time, with the additional benefits of compact form factor and low power consumption. The patent pending Argon360 technology is available as an IP core building block for incorporation into an ASIC, offering the ultimate in performance for volume produced products. It is also available for FPGA implementations, suitable for lower volume products.

Steve Barlow, CTO of Argon Design explained: “Argon360 is the culmination of a series of internal research projects which started with the investigation of topics including simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) and stereo depth perception techniques. We recognised that some of the ideas we had used in those research projects could be applied to correcting parallax artefacts that can present major challenges when stitching video from multiple cameras.”

Clifford Dive, Argon’s VP of Business Development continued: “Market research indicated a number of excellent software-based stitching solutions for use in post-production, but also an unsatisfied demand for a high performance real-time solution. After considering a number of approaches, we concluded that a hardware-based design would have the performance and scalability required to address a broad range of market needs for panoramic video, from live broadcast to consumer action cameras.”

About Argon Design Ltd
Argon Design is an electronics and software development consultancy, based in Cambridge, UK.  Founded in 2009, our primary activity is to provide outsourced product development services to our customers, who range from start-ups to some of the most recognised names in high technology.  Our skill-set ranges from chip-level design, through FPGA, board-level design, embedded software, to mobile applications and cloud-based software.  We have particular world-class expertise in video codecs, image processing and video processing.