Fairchild gains foothold in 3D motion tracking with acquisition of Xsens

Fairchild Semiconductor formally announced its acquisition of Xsens, a leading global supplier of 3D motion tracking products for the industrial, health, fitness and entertainment markets.

The deal provides Fairchild with sensor fusion technologies that enable a seamless interaction between the physical and the digital world. The move significantly bolsters Fairchild’s micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) / sensor activities and is a critical part of the company’s ongoing innovation-focused technology transformation. With the addition of Xsens, Fairchild is now positioned to deliver state-of-the-art solutions for applications such as mobile, industrial control and stabilization, health, fitness, as well as 3D character animation.

“Building on a transformation of the company that started over a year ago, Fairchild is intent on creating a product development culture that delivers innovative solutions for newly emerging or fast growing markets,” said Fairchild president and COO Vijay Ullal. “By adding Xsens’ capabilities to the Fairchild team, we can supply our customers with unique and differentiated sensor-focused solutions for a variety of end markets, including both traditional industrial and mobile markets, as well as emerging markets such as smart interconnected devices (the Internet of Things), wearables and more.”

Xsens has a storied history. Since its inception in 2000, Xsens has deployed tens of thousands of motion sensors and motion capture solutions successfully in areas such as 3D character animation, rehabilitation and sports science, and robot and camera stabilization.