InvenSense, Inc., the leading provider of MEMS-based motion processing products for consumer electronics, announced the availability of its 6-axis motion processing solution that includes its first single-axis ISZ™ yaw gyro sensor family, and newly released IME-3000™ 3-axis accelerometer with three analog inputs. These new products, combined with the company’s IDG™ dual-axis family of roll and pitch gyros, is the world’s first 6-axis MEMS-based motion processing solution delivering the smallest, most robust inertial measurement unit (IMU) for CE applications. This solution includes two 4x5x1.2 mm packages for the gyroscopes and one 3x3x0.9 mm package for the accelerometer, providing a small 7x7mm equivalent footprint with 10,000 g-shock rating.  Game controller and 3D audio/video remote control manufacturers can now easily integrate an optimized and volume proven 6-axis motion sensor platform from a vertically-integrated supplier.
There is a growing need for more intuitive motion-based user interfaces in the highly competitive gaming and interactive 3D remote control market. Current motion sensing technologies, made popular by the success of the Nintendo Wii™ and Apple iPhone™, are based on 3-axis accelerometers that provide basic tilt, portrait versus landscape orientation, and linear motion tracking.  Six-axis motion processing adds three axes of rotational movement information from gyroscopes with three axes of linear motion data from accelerometers to deliver high precision 3D motion tracking that is responsive to every move, including gesture recognition.  For example, the Wii MotionPlus™ accessory tracks players’ movements with greater accuracy where even the slightest twist of the wrist or turn of the body is replicated exactly on the television screen. Digital TV remote controls accessing content, such as television shows, movies, music and shopping can be controlled using single-handed motions to quickly select and scroll through menus replacing numerous button clicks.

Today, only a few sophisticated companies have been able to integrate 5- or 6-axis motion functionality into their handheld devices, including Logitech’s MX™ Air Mouse and the Nintendo Wii MotionPlus accessory. The challenge has been the lack of suitable consumer-grade gyroscopes and the design complexities when integrating different sensor technologies from multiple sources with a mix of specifications and compatibilities.  With the InvenSense 6-axis solution, manufacturers may now procure the most advanced and tightly integrated motion processing technology available from a single source.

“Our customers can now turn to a single supplier for their motion processing requirements tailored to their specific needs, gaining ease of integration and accelerated time-to-market advantages,” said Steve Nasiri, CEO and founder of InvenSense. “Producing a 6-axis motion processing solution is a challenge few in our industry have undertaken and none have yet to deliver, and we will continue to develop even higher levels of integration.”

By leveraging its patented and high volume-proven (in millions of monthly unit shipments) Nasiri-Fabrication platform, which integrates MEMS wafers with companion CMOS electronics through wafer-level bonding, InvenSense has driven the gyroscope and accelerometer package sizes down to the smallest system footprint, while providing the highest performance, lowest noise, and the lowest cost semiconductor packaging.

A family of single- and dual-axis gyros support  ±2,000°/second full scale range to track the widest dynamic range of physical motions targeting gaming console and PC-based game controllers, while a another solution set is ideally suited for 3D remote controls with a full scale range of up to ±500°/second.  The IME-3000 includes three high resolution ADC inputs for the single- and dual-axis gyroscopes to provide six axes of motion processing output information through I2C or SPI interfaces, delivering high accuracy and fast response time not possible with any other sensor combination, such as an accelerometer combined with a compass sensor.

Six-axis motion processing solutions begin sampling in July 2009 with evaluation board sample pricing of $250.  For more information visit InvenSense at http://www.invensense.com.