Hardware maker bets on intelligent devices and 3D visuals at CES 2015.
A large portion of Intel’s keynote presentation was taken up by demos of its RealSense technology, which allows cameras to process depth in a way similar to the human eye. RealSense is a semi-established product, having been incorporated into the Dell Venue 8 7000 tablet. However, the applications shown off by CEO Brian Krzanich during his keynote speech at CES aim to move the technology beyond just the mobile sphere. “We’re going from a two-dimensional world to a three-dimensional world. This additional dimension will change how we experience computing,” he said. One of the ways in which Intel hopes to make its mark on this brave new “3D world” is replacing everything from touchscreens to door keys to recipe books, courtesy of RealSense.
Freeing your laptop from cookery chaos In cookery corner, Chef “Chuck” showed how, normally, if you bring your laptop or tablet into the kitchen it gets covered in flour or other cooking materials because you touch it with “yucky fingers” (here at PC Pro, we take the time to wash our hands, but moving on…).
Chuck demonstrated how RealSense can be used to enable 3D gestures, allowing the cook to move between recipe pages or videos on screen without touching it. Cooks around the world will surely rejoice.
Intel kills the keyboard Next up was Jonathan (no, he has no surname either), who helped demonstrate how RealSense’s technology can be used to create 3D projections from a specially adapted screen.
Apparently, Intel’s new three-dimensional world will help rid us of actual 3D objects, such as piano keyboards, so we can play in empty space, as Jonathan helpfully showed by playing chopsticks in mid air.
While entertaining, we hope there will be more practical uses for this technology when it moves beyond the concept stage.
RealSense will open doors – literally Perhaps a more useful application of the technology is smart home integration. Beautiful assistant Megan was joined on stage by a stunt door to demonstrate how RealSense, combined with Intel’s facial recognition software, True Key, can be used to replace door keys.
The system uses dual authentication to establish the person trying to enter the house is indeed someone who lives there. The person’s smartphone, which is synced to the house’s smart security system, is used for primary authentication. The resident then turns to face a smart panel on the wall containing a RealSense camera, which captures an image of the person’s face. This image is then processed by True Key and, if the face is recognised, the door will automatically unlock.
This is a clearer, more practical example of RealSense and Intel’s ambitions in the Internet of Things space. It’s also something we could perhaps see in wider use more rapidly than some of the other technology demonstrated.
RealSense to improve accessibility Another interesting application of RealSense is in the realms of accessibility for visually impaired people.
The wearable technology is not dissimilar, conceptually, to theMicrosoft headset shown off earlier in the year, which helps visually impaired people navigate urban environments.
However, unlike the Microsoft solution, Intel’s concept places RealSense-enabled sensors on clothing. These sensors vibrate if the wearer is coming close to an obstruction or is too close to the curb, for example.
Technology to aid accessibility, particularly for blind and visually impaired people, is a major step forward in the industry, and something PC Pro welcomes wholeheartedly – its good to see Intel getting onboard.
Source: pcauthority
