14 DAY TRIAL // The USB 3.0 connection is rapidly becoming a mainstream feature, so Point Grey decided to put it to good use when it built the Flea3 USB 3.0 camera series.
Simply put, the FL3-U3 is a camera made specifically for the “demanding requirements of machine and computer vision applications,” as Point Grey puts it (get acquainted with the company here).
It measures 29 x 29 x 30 mm (1.14 x 1.14 x 1.18 inches) and has a CMOS sensor that can generate 3.2 megapixel images at 60 fps.
The Sony IMX036, monochrome and color versions, will be used in the first versions of the Flea3 USB 3.0 series.
So far, though, only the FL3-U3-32S2 is available for order (1/2.8-inch 2080x1552 at 60 FPS)(1/2.8-inch 2080x1552 at 60 FPS), at a price of $795 ($560.45). More cameras will be added as time passes.
“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.”
As a reminder, USB 3.0 is the latest universal serial bus technology and has a theoretical maximum throughput of 5 Gbps (about ten times faster than USB 2.0).
“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.
“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,” Gibbons adds.