Intel is making it incredibly easy to add depth-sensing capabilities to virtually any device or machine with its new depth cameras. The D415 and D435, part of the new RealSense D400 product family, target a wide audience that includes makers and educators as well as hardware prototyping and software developers.
The turnkey solutions feature a USB-powered form factor and utilize Intel's new D4 RealSense vision processor to process complex depth data in real-time. The cameras, which can be used both indoors and outdoors in any lighting environment, are supported by the RealSense SDK 2.0, available for the first time as a cross-platform, open-source SDK.
Sagi Ben Moshe, vice president and general manager of the RealSense Group at Intel, said that many of today's machines and devices use 2D image recognition-based computer vision but with Intel RealSense's best-in-class depth technology, they are redefining future technologies to 'see' like a human, so devices and machines can truly enrich people's lives.
Intel's RealSense technology has been around for a few years now but up to this point, it hasn't had much of an impact on the industry. That's partially because Intel was still working out all the kinks and partly because products that use computer vision are still few and far between. That could change in the near future, however, as additional smart devices using computer vision emerge.
Intel's D415 and D435 cameras are available to pre-order as of writing for $149 and $179, respectively. Intel says that due to overwhelming demand, there may be a delay in shipping.