Is CUDA required in order to use the ZED cameras in Linux?

CUDA is always required to use the ZED SDK because all the elaborations to extract depth information are performed on the host device.

We have an open-source driver on Github that can be used without CUDA, but depth information must be calculated using your own stereo matching algorithm:
https://github.com/stereolabs/zed-open-capture

 

Additional Resources:

How does the ZED work?

Getting Started with your ZED camera