Gestigon

Gestigon was established in September 2011 in Germany by Sascha Klement, Erhardt Barth, and Thomas Martinetz. Its foundations came from research at the University of Lübeck, where Barth and Martinetz had worked since 2002 on software associated with time-of-flight sensors. Klement had contributed to that work as a student assistant and doctoral researcher. The new company received seed support from High-Tech Gründerfonds, Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft Schleswig-Holstein, and local business angels. The company developed software capable of interpreting three-dimensional depth data in real time. Its systems recognized human skeletons, body parts, hand and finger movements, poses, and selected biometric features. This made Gestigon a specialist in software for natural user interfaces rather than a manufacturer of sensing hardware. Its applications were relevant to automotive controls, augmented reality, virtual reality, and other interactive products. Moritz von Grotthuss joined in March 2012 as an adviser and later became chief executive officer. Gestigon received an Innovation Award at CeBIT in 2012 and began appearing at international technology events. It exhibited at CES in Las Vegas in January 2013 and later participated in TechCrunch Disrupt in New York. In 2014, Visteon and Volkswagen used Gestigon gesture solutions in products shown at CES, and Gestigon received a second CeBIT Innovation Award. During 2015 and 2016, the company increased its emphasis on automotive and immersive-computing applications. Its technologies were demonstrated in connection with Audi, Volkswagen, and Infineon, while its automotive work included software for recognizing driving gestures. Gestigon also pursued augmented-reality and virtual-reality headsets. Its Carnival SDK, introduced at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco in September 2015, used an Oculus Rift headset and depth sensors to support interaction with virtual interfaces. The company had previously shown a mobile-device demonstration at CES 2015. In July 2015, Gestigon closed a Series A financing round led by nbr technology ventures, with High-Tech Gründerfonds and Vorwerk Direct Selling Ventures also participating. Fabian von Kuenheim became chairman of the advisory board, joined by Holger G. Weiss and Gunnar Graef. Gestigon also worked with Inuitive on a virtual-reality unit combining depth sensing and three-dimensional computer-vision processing. The resulting system was presented at CES 2016 using an Oculus Rift development kit. Valeo acquired Gestigon in March 2017. The transaction connected Gestigon's gesture-recognition and body-tracking expertise with a major automotive supplier. The available reference material does not document the company's organizational status or continued use of its standalone brand after the acquisition.

• 2017

  Acquisition by Valeo

  [1]Gestigonen.wikipedia.org

  Valeo acquires Gestigon in March, adding the company's gesture-recognition capabilities to its automotive technology activities.

• 2016

  Broader automotive and immersive-computing work

  [1]Gestigonen.wikipedia.org

  Gestigon continues demonstrations involving Audi, Volkswagen, and Infineon and presents a virtual-reality system developed with Inuitive at CES.

• 2015

  Series A financing and Carnival SDK launch

  [1]Gestigonen.wikipedia.org

  Gestigon raises Series A funding and introduces its Carnival virtual-reality SDK at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco.

• 2014

  Automotive demonstrations and second CeBIT award

  [1]Gestigonen.wikipedia.org

  Visteon and Volkswagen show Gestigon gesture solutions at CES, and Gestigon receives another CeBIT Innovation Award.

• 2013

  International technology-event expansion

  [1]Gestigonen.wikipedia.org

  Gestigon presents its technology at CES in Las Vegas and later at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York.

• 2012

  First CeBIT Innovation Award

  [1]Gestigonen.wikipedia.org

  Gestigon is named among 15 recipients of a CeBIT Innovation Award.

• 2011

  Gestigon is founded

  [1]Gestigonen.wikipedia.org

  Sascha Klement, Erhardt Barth, and Thomas Martinetz establish Gestigon to commercialize gesture-control and body-tracking software based on three-dimensional depth data.

A deep-technology provider of real-time three-dimensional gesture, pose, and body-tracking software for automotive interfaces and immersive computing.

• Body-tracking and biometric feature tracking

  Gecko

  Gecko was a Gestigon feature-tracking component designed to follow an individual in three-dimensional sensor data and measure selected biometric characteristics. It formed part of the company's broader skeleton-recognition approach, allowing software to identify and follow a person's body rather than treating depth information as an undifferentiated image.

• Hand and finger gesture recognition

  Flamenco

  Flamenco was software for recognizing hand and finger gestures. It was intended to provide a natural interface between a user and a device equipped with suitable three-dimensional sensing hardware. The technology was relevant to automotive controls and other systems where gestures could supplement or replace physical controls.

• Augmented reality and virtual reality software · 2015

  Carnival SDK

  Carnival was Gestigon's virtual-reality software development kit. Demonstrated with an Oculus Rift headset and depth sensors, it enabled users to see and interact with their hands in virtual interfaces. Gestigon presented the SDK publicly at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco in 2015 and also demonstrated related immersive-computing hardware with Inuitive.

• 2015Carnival at TechCrunch Disrupt

  United States · Virtual reality

  Gestigon launched and demonstrated its Carnival virtual-reality SDK at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco using an Oculus Rift headset and depth sensors.

  Outcome. The demonstration showcased Gestigon's expansion beyond automotive interfaces into immersive computing.

  Source
• 2013CES technology demonstrations

  United States · Consumer electronics · Automotive technology

  Gestigon used CES in Las Vegas to demonstrate its three-dimensional gesture and body-tracking capabilities to technology and automotive audiences.

  Outcome. The appearance supported the company's international visibility and was followed by further automotive demonstrations.

  Source

• 2017

  Valeo acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Gestigon's gesture-recognition and body-tracking technology had become relevant to automotive human-machine interfaces.

  Action taken

  Valeo acquired Gestigon in March 2017.

  Aftermath

  Gestigon became part of Valeo's automotive technology activities. Public references do not establish whether the standalone brand continued.

  Source

• 2015

  Expand from automotive interfaces into immersive computingStrategy

  Background

  Gestigon had developed a base in three-dimensional gesture recognition for automotive and interactive applications while interest in augmented and virtual reality was increasing.

  Action taken

  The company developed and presented the Carnival virtual-reality SDK and worked with Inuitive on a related virtual-reality unit.

  Aftermath

  Gestigon continued presenting automotive, augmented-reality, and virtual-reality applications through 2016.

  Source

1. 1Gestigonen.wikipedia.org