Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Intel RealSense Stereo Depth Cameras

intelrealsense.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 70 posts

Re: Intel RealSense Stereo Depth Cameras

#31

Post by porphyra »

andoma wrote: post #13
sand500 wrote: post #2

Is this going to finally replace all the Xbox Kinects everyone uses?

The final version of the Kinect, called "Azure Kinect" was based around the ADSD3100 time-of-flight sensor from Analog Devices. The Kinect has since been abandoned by Microsoft. However, Analog offers a match-box sized module ADTF3175 integrating the ADSD3100-sensor, optics and VCSEL (940nm laser illuminator) with MIPI 4-lanes output. A devkit [1] also exist and is available from mouser, digikey, et al. [1] https://w…

You can also buy a rebranded Azure Kinect called the Orbbec Femto Bolt. Like the original Azure Kinect, the quality is amazing and blows the Realsenses out of the water.

Re: Intel RealSense Stereo Depth Cameras

#32

Post by grumbelbart2 »

gertlex wrote: post #4
momoschili wrote: post #3

These have been around since at least 2016 and haven't really made any real waves... it's another technology Intel held out to dry. Stereo is a reliable tech that is relatively simple to implement but for the most part it seems to be have been left behind by other methods that are better suited for compact form factors in consumer like time of flight, or even LIDAR. Intel itself tried its hand at LIDAR, but shuttered…

There certainly hasn't been a consumer use case for these. But the RealSense line are quite commonly seen on a wide variety of robots (maybe specifically those from US-based start-ups) over the past 8 years or so, at least from what I've seen.

There are some use-cases that Apple pioneered. After they bought Primesense, who made the first Kinect using quite interesting structured IR laser light points and a single camera to get depth, Apple shrank that technology. It is now the core of FaceID where it does a 3D scan of your face. On the backside of iPhones, Apple is using LIDAR to estimate depth, allowing improved computational photography.

Unfortunately it never caught on in other devices. I'd love a more secure face-id kind of thing in my Laptop (Apple, ThinkPad etc.) that authenticates me.

Re: Intel RealSense Stereo Depth Cameras

#34

Post by londons_explore »

Anytime you see something cool with a global shutter (like this does), the next gen of the same thing will use a rolling shutter and be half or less the price.

Global shutter makes the math of everything easier, and is therefore good for getting a product out the door quicker, but rolling shutter cameras are cheaper and perform better.

Re: Intel RealSense Stereo Depth Cameras

#35

Post by nindalf »

MrBuddyCasino wrote: post #11
Uehreka wrote: post #6

Back in 2021 I needed some stereo cameras for an AR experience I was building for the 2020 World’s Fair Expo (yes, it took place in 2021 but was called 2020). We looked into RealSense, and right around when we did there was some news that Intel had either laid off the RealSense team or stopped manufacturing new cameras. Whatever it was, it made us look elsewhere, as it does not seem like Intel is serious about develo…

> it made us look elsewhere, as it does not seem like Intel is serious about developing/maintaining this product line Everyone has to find out eventually, that unless „product line“ is high-margin CPUs, Intel will cancel it sooner or later. I hope they aren’t stupid enough to do that with their GPUs (again).

Yep, Intel isn't serious about any product.

People criticise Google for killing products, but Intel has reached a point where their continued existence is threatened by a lack of faith in their ability to continue products without killing them. What lunatic would build on their fab when TSMC exists? And if no one is going to use Intel fabs, then what hope does Intel have to be competitive long term?

Re: Intel RealSense Stereo Depth Cameras

#37

Post by whoevercares »

Uehreka wrote: post #6

Back in 2021 I needed some stereo cameras for an AR experience I was building for the 2020 World’s Fair Expo (yes, it took place in 2021 but was called 2020). We looked into RealSense, and right around when we did there was some news that Intel had either laid off the RealSense team or stopped manufacturing new cameras. Whatever it was, it made us look elsewhere, as it does not seem like Intel is serious about develo…

Same story back in 2016, they either laid off or pivoted heavily on the production plan. Can’t trust those real sense folks

Re: Intel RealSense Stereo Depth Cameras

#38

Post by ofrzeta »

dcanelhas wrote: post #28
ofrzeta wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Stereo is a reliable tech that is relatively simple to implement why are the cameras so expensive then? I guess their optics aren't particularly high-grade either.

Going to assume you're genuinely interested here: Intel's RealSense cameras typically also have an active IR illumination component that projects texture onto otherwise featureless surfaces where stereo would not give any measurements. There is also an onboard vision processor that computes the depth information and sends that to your host system. Compare this with Stereolabs zed cameras that require you to have a se…

> Going to assume you're genuinely interested here

Sure I am! Thanks for the information.

Re: Intel RealSense Stereo Depth Cameras

#39

Post by Symmetry »

Long, long ago the the Kinect came out and it was able to provide 3D imaging for robotics companies at an incredibly good pricepoint compared to everything that came before it. Then the company that made it created a version with just the 3D sensor and that was even better.

But then Apple bought them for what would later become face unlock. Apple wasn't interested in being a component supplier so they discontinued selling sensors to robotics companies and it was a bad time for robotics companies that had incorporated these into their products.

Into this Intel came with RealSense, with better performance in an even smaller form factor. This was really nice. Then Intel released a garbled statement about discontinuing RealSense in 2024 and everybody freaked out. A lot of companies, like the one I was working at, decided this was the time develop and in-house 3D sensor system.

Apparently Intel is spinning them out as an independent company, though, so maybe we don't actually have to worry about Intel losing interest and shutting them down.

https://www.therobotreport.com/intel-spins-out-realsense-as-...

Post reply on HN