What is Intel® RealSense™? Understanding this Revolutionary Technology

What is Intel® RealSense™?

Intel® RealSense™ is the next evolution in user interface design. While touch-screen devices allow you to interact with hand gestures, they are fundamentally the same as traditional desktop keyboards and mice in many ways. The touch screen is dependent on touch, just as the mouse is – the only difference is that you are now touching your screen rather than an input controller. Intel® RealSense™ is different. This technology aims to revolutionize the way you interact with your device by making it possible to do so without touching it.

What is RealSense™ technology?

RealSense™ technology utilizes three separate optical scanners – a 1080p high-definition optical camera, infrared camera, and infrared laser projector – to read the environment around it. Working in conjunction, these three optical readers can sense depth, detect human movement, and scan objects in 3D with unparalleled precision and accuracy. To provide for varied needs and use cases, this technology is further offered in two different applications: short-range and long-range.

• Short-range RealSense™ Camera – The short-range RealSense™ camera is ideal for at-home and in-office applications. It detects hand gestures and facial features, and can scan objects close to the camera. The short-range RealSense™ camera is best suited for indoor use at close range, making it perfect for the individual user who wants to explore all-new ways to interact with his or her device.
• Long-range RealSense™ Camera – While the short-range RealSense™ camera is designed for indoor use at close range, the long-range RealSense™ camera is ideal for outdoor use and indoor use at greater distances. Uses for this application include large scanning or photographic projects (for example, you want to scan a large piece of art work or furniture). The same basic technologies found in the short-range camera are repurposed here for use at longer distances.

With the ability to see the world around it in three dimensions, Intel® RealSense™ can transform the way you use and interact with your device. You can scan and share 3D files, immerse yourself into a video game, interact with your computer using hand gestures and facial recognition, and video chat while overlaying your avatar on a customized background. Available on select Lenovo ThinkPad and IdeaPad laptop models, RealSense™ offers a whole new way to interact with your computer.

Future of Intel® RealSense™

In the immediate future, you can expect Intel®'s RealSense™ technology to become more readily available across devices – tablets, laptops, desktops, and even smartphones. As the optical reader technology continues to shrink, it becomes easier to integrate it into existing hardware. Once that process is complete, then it's merely a matter of having the right software in place to make the most of the technology.

But the realm of personal computers and smartphones is just the beginning for RealSense™ technology. As drones, autonomous cars, and automated robots start making inroads into our daily lives, RealSense™ technology could enable these devices to sense the world around them in much the same way that humans do, leading to more precise control and less risk of accidents occurring. The future possibilities are limitless.