Intel shows off RealSense 3D camera

The human brain perceives the world by projecting images from the left and right eyes onto a 3D stereoscopic map, which according to Intel Corp., is exactly what its tiny 3D camera and image-processing chip do. Intel gave away its RealSense R200 3D Camera to attendees of its session titled "Adding Human-like Senses to Computing Devices with Intel RealSense Camera Family" at the recently concluded Intel Developers Conference 2015.

"What we are doing is attempting to interpret the scenes in the world the way the brain does," said Achintya Bhowmik, VP of Intel's new technology group and GM of its perceptual computing group. "From pixels to perspective projection to a camera coordinated transformational matrix of 3D points."

Intel gave away a 3D RealSense camera (pictured with $20 bill to show its small size) backed by an encyclopaedia of software for kids (that can make their own critters), to gamers to add their own personal avatars to game (with their real face on it) but mostly for developers realizing 3D games that immerse the user into the scene. (Source: EE Times)

Intel's latest iteration of its 3D cameras include a 5in x 0.079in x 0.28in 3D RealSense (R200) camera with an infrared (IR) laser projector that produces a 3D depth model onto which it maps a high-definition (HD) image with an internal image processing chip for objects 10ft or further away. A slightly larger F200 version for close-ups 0.65ft to 3.9ft away is also available.

"The smaller R200 handheld version can be used to sense the environment around the user from outdoor scenes to indoor spaces to even measuring the size of boxes or other objects [with the right software]," said Bhowmik. "The F200 version clips atop a notebook, all-in-one or 2-in-1 computer and faces the user to sense their head and hands in 3D."

Achintya Bhowmik, VP of Intel's new technology group and GM of its perceptual computing group (Source: EE Times)

Once the users head and hands are faithfully imaged, developer software takes over to make the magic happen, from 3D immersive collaboration environments, to real-time 3D gaming to capture/share of 3D selfees or small objects of any kind of hand-gesture recognition.

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