Intel Shipping Pair Of Low-Cost 3D Depth-Sensing Cameras For Analytics, Interactive

January 19, 2018 by Dave Haynes

Intel has started shipping a pair of low-cost RealSense D400 Depth Cameras that add 3D depth sensing capability, something that could prove useful for interactive digital signage applications and for video-driven analytics.

Says a press release:

Ideal for makers and educators as well as hardware prototyping and software development, the new depth cameras come in a ready-to-use, USB-powered form factor that pair with a D400 depth module, a turnkey optical depth solution, and the new Intel RealSense vision processor D4 for processing complex depth data in real time. Supported by the Intel RealSense SDK 2.0 – available for the first time as a cross-platform, open source SDK – the cameras can also be used both indoors and outdoors and in any lighting environment.

“Many of today’s machines and devices use 2D image recognition-based computer vision, but with Intel RealSense’s best-in-class depth technology, we are redefining future technologies to ‘see’ like a human, so devices and machines can truly enrich people’s lives,” says Sagi Ben Moshe, vice president and general manager of the RealSense Group at Intel. “With its compact, ready-to-use form, the Intel RealSense D400 Depth Camera series not only makes it easy for developers to build 3D depth sensing into any design, but they are also ready to be embedded into high-volume products.”

The cameras are billed as plug and play via that USB connector, and cost between $150 and $180 USD. The cameras would, at least in theory, provide a low-cost, rich-featured  alternative to motion-sensing Kinect cameras, a product Microsoft has now shut down.