MediaTek has taken the plunge into the wearable space with the launch of its MediaTek Labs for developers.
MediaTek made the announcement on Monday, Sept. 22, and the MediaTek Labs initiative by the company will assist developers and manufacturers with the necessary tools required for the creation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, as well as wearables.
"With the launch of MediaTek Labs we're opening up a new world of possibilities for everyone - from hobbyists and students through to professional developers and designers - to unleash their creativity and innovation," revealed Marc Naddell, VP of MediaTek Labs.
Nadell is optimistic that the MediaTek initiative will propel the impending "wave of consumer gadgets and apps" forward, which will aid in connecting consumers and innumerable things around the globe.
MediaTek Labs will offer support for service providers, developers and manufacturers at all levels, including guidance to create wearables, documentation, software development kits or SDKs, business/technical assistance, and hardware development kits (HDKs). Moreover, MediaTek Labs' website has a Solutions Catalog, whereby developers can share details on their work activities and get support from FAQs and forums.
The Taiwan-based company's initiative deploys MediaTek's LinkIt Development platform, which was announced in 2014. It is a developer platform that has been designed in such a manner so that it can contribute effectively to the IoT and wearable spaces. The LinkIt Development platform costs $79 and uses the MT2502 chipset from MediaTek, which is the tiniest commercial system on chip (SoC) available for wearables.
The SoC measures 5.4 mm x 6.2 mm and offers support for 4MB of RAM and display resolution of up to 320 x 240 pixels. It also supports Bluetooth 4.0 and 4MB of storage.
With the new lab and LinkIt working in tandem, MediaTek is optimistic that the MediaTek Labs program will effectively create opportunities not only for developers, but also encourage students and those who like to tinker with apps as a hobby. The program perseveres to fuel development in the IoT and wearable industry.
To sign-up for the MediaTek program, developers, makers and designers can head here. The registration is free; however, it is not clear if members will benefit from all aspects of the program free of cost.
