, a leading provider of mission-ready computing systems, announced that it has acquired the intellectual property and product development team of Enhanced Video Devices (EVD), a developer of image enhancement technology.
With this acquisition, Z Microsystems gains vital intellectual property and engineering talent in video image enhancement and visualization technology to support its growth in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), medical visualization and other markets where image quality is critical to success.
EVD is a developer of real-time, locally-adaptive image contrast solutions that significantly enhance and clarify video images in security systems, medical applications, military systems and consumer products. Founded in 2008, EVD had been working with Z Microsystems in partnership since 2010 to develop algorithms to enhance full-motion video on Z Microsystem’s FPGA-based image processing equipment.
“With the acquisition of EVD, we strengthen our commitment to develop image processing platforms for a variety of industries,” said Jack Wade, CEO of Z Microsystems. “EVD’s depth of knowledge and intellectual property will benefit our customers particularly in military and medical markets. These image processing algorithms do a remarkable job of bringing out the detail from images degraded by poor visibility and challenging environmental conditions. We are excited to offer these expanded capabilities to the marketplace.”
In addition to EVD’s image enhancement patents, Z Microsystems gains significant technical expertise. Richard Hier, Ph.D. is joining in the position of Chief Scientist, Imaging Systems. Hier has almost four decades of experience in state-of-the-art technology and its applications, with emphasis on space research, image enhancement, medical imaging, military and surveillance video, and consumer entertainment TV applications. Prior to EVD, Hier was involved in a number of astrophysical projects at UCSD, including two of the five original scientific instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope. He earned a Ph.D. in physics at UCSD and has been granted a number of patents.
Additionally, Randall Millar is joining Z Microsystems as Director of Advanced Product Development. Millar brings more than ten years of executive experience and served as VP of Engineering and COO at EVD. Millar has extensive experience in the design of video processing systems (hardware and embedded firmware), including implementation of real-time enhancement algorithms for medical, military, and consumer markets. In his new role, Millar will oversee all facets of advanced product development from conceptual design through delivery to the customer. He earned his degree in electrical engineering at UCSD and has been granted a number of patents.
For more than 20 years, Z Microsystems has been supplying superior computing technology to the US military and defense system integrators. Today, Z Microsystems designs and manufacturers field-ready computing solutions for military, medical, industrial and law enforcement applications. The company’s commercial off–the–shelf (COTS) products include rugged flat panel displays, high-performance computers and flexible storage systems.