Korean tech startup Siliconarts claims that its energy-efficient RayCore real-time ray tracing graphics processor (GPU) will bring high-quality 3D effects to smartphones. Mostly utilized in Hollywood studios in creating huge contents such as "Toy Story" and "Avatar," realistic effects are the key to differentiating the features of ray tracing technology compared to a rasterization approach. However, ray tracing was only implemented using software due to the limitations to process exponential calculations, to equip with highly expensive series of rendering gears and to process and the wait for significantly longer rendering times. In addition, it was not even implemented on a real-time basis.

Siliconarts claims that RayCore overcomes the limitations of the existing ray tracing approach, applying all of the benefits of ray tracing to its product that can render cinema-quality 3D graphics effects on real-time basis.



The new GPU is based on patented (Multiple Instruction, Multiple Datastream) MIMD architecture, which enables more efficient execution of parallel tasks, making it possible to implement dynamic 3D user interface, interactive 3D games, augmented reality and other 3D applications which are hardly implemented using rasterization GPU.

In addition, RayCore is designed to consume low power level in order to implement both User Interface and User Experience on mobile platforms such as smartphones. A senior official of Siliconarts mentioned that ray tracing technology-enabled smartphones will be introduced soon.

"The key feature of this product is that ray tracing, which was considered impossible to implement using hardware, is now available not only on PCs and servers, but also in diverse devices such as smartphones and smart TVs. None of the global GPU companies have successfully implemented ray tracing on a real-time basis and their technology level is still trivial. It is almost impossible to implement," said Hyung Min Yoon, the CEO of Siliconarts.