3Dlabs is demonstrating 3D GPS navigation applications on its newly unveiled media processor for mobile devices, at the Navigation USA tradeshow this week in San Jose, Calif. The demo uses GPS application software from NordNav, along with digital maps and content from Tele Atlas.

(Click for larger view of 3DLabs demo)

3DLabs says its demo shows “how the navigation experience can be enhanced by providing high fidelity 3D detail and texture to create life-like renderings of the locations people wish to find, navigate, and experience.”

The demo is based on the DMS-02 media processor, which 3DLabs unveiled late last month. The chip is the company's first product since its strategic shift from the PC 3D graphics chipset market to the mobile applications processor market. The processor is supported initially with a Linux 2.6 SDK (software development kit).

The DMS-02 has a unique architecture comprised of a pair of ARM9 cores together with three arrays of eight floating point processors. 3DLabs says it will work with GPS software supplier NordNav to create software that exploits the DMS-02 to “accelerate acquisition times, enhance tracking accuracy, and reduce costs.”

DMS-02 functional diagram
(Click to enlarge)
The demo also uses maps and “dynamic content” from Tele Atlas. Tele Atlas has previously supplied maps to GPS software providers such as Navicore, as well GPS navigation device vendors such as TomTom Go.

Tim Lewis, director of marketing at 3DLabs, stated, “Users of location-aware devices will be able to experience a rich 3D environment that reflects the reality they can see, including landmarks, landscapes, points-of-interest and individual buildings.”

NordNav CEO Mattias Astrom stated, “By leveraging the floating-point processing capabilities of the 3DLABS DMS-02 media processor, our E5000 software GPS provides fast time to first fix and gives users continuous tracking and advanced navigation filtering.”

Jack Reinelt, managing director of Tele Atlas, stated, “The market is evolving to more realistically represent the world as we know it. Enhanced 3D visualization will make maps even more attractive, informative, and interesting with a range of consumer applications.”

Availability

The DMS-02 media processor is currently sampling. Additional details can be found here.

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