#Intel Realsense Sdk Trial 3D Sensors

Depth, a calculation of the depth of each pixel. Color, which is the video from the RealSense camera color sensor. Various data streams can be captured by the RealSense TOP. The RealSense TOP node outputs color, depth and IR data in various forms.

Intel Realsense Sdk Trial 3D Sensors

And then, suddenly, Apple snapped up PrimeSense for $360 million in November 2013. Co-developed by Israeli startup PrimeSense, the Kinect quickly found its way into academic and commercial robotic environments, being employed for tasks like obstacle avoidance, object detection, and skeletal tracking.With the backing of Microsoft, the Kinect seemed like a sure thing, a safe choice as part of a vision-enabled system’s final design. Upon its launch in 2010, roboticists seized upon it as a source for low-cost, high-quality depth sensing (sound familiar?) that could unlock sensing capabilities that were previously only available to companies and institutions that could afford multi-thousand dollar industrial 3D sensors. After all, this has happened again and again in the world of 3D sensors.One need not look too far back to recall the depth sensor that started it all – the original Microsoft Kinect. But if the cameras do go away altogether, that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

It would be joining the Kinect in the ranks of defunct depth sensing platforms.What, then, happened in the wake of the cancellations of the Kinect and Tango? What lessons can we learn from those examples that may apply to the RealSense platform? There are a few. And then, after just three years, Google announced it was winding down Project Tango. Soon, Tango-specific handsets were being launched, including one co-developed with Intel that included a built-in RealSense. Like the Kinect, Project Tango promised low-cost, high-quality 3D sensing along with a robust developer SDK to rapidly create applications that used depth (and, interestingly, the very first Project Tango developer devices used PrimeSense chips as part of their design).Adoption from the developer community was swift, and Google subsidized and promoted some of the more promising applications, including a collaboration with NASA. | Photo Credit: GoogleJust about a half year after Apple’s acquisition of PrimeSense, another promising depth sensing platform emerged from a huge tech company: Google’s Project Tango. Roboticists who had relied on the Kinect – and, more importantly, Microsoft – were suddenly left in the lurch.Google’s Project Tango.

But many others chose to redesign their depth sensing systems entirely and integrated a completely different sensor — ironically, in many cases, that different sensor was an Intel RealSense.Companies that currently rely on RealSense could choose to redesign their products to incorporate a different 3D sensor. For many, the simplest option was to switch to the original Structure Sensor by Occipital, which included similar components to the Kinect and was the closest sensor possible to a direct replacement. For many companies that had to do so before the advent of plug-and-play sensor management platforms like the Tangram Vision SDK, this process could take as long as six to 18 months.Switching: Many of the more forward-thinking companies that had come to rely on Kinect and Tango decided to bite the bullet and simply switch to a new sensor that had guaranteed supply. Here at Tangram Vision, we believe these will paths could be followed by RealSense users as well.Hoarding: Integrating a depth sensor into a complex, vision-enabled platform is no small feat.

It was also widely used in the current crop of machine-learning driven pick-and-place robotic systems used in supply chain contexts. | Photo Credit: Occipital Alternatives to RealSenseRealSense was an excellent choice for near- to mid-range depth sensing for tasks like obstacle avoidance, object detection, and depth information for SLAM systems used for robotic navigation. This path is very real – at Tangram Vision, we’ve been surprised at the number of robotics teams we’ve spoken with who have chosen to develop their own bespoke depth systems.The Structure Core by Occipital. Indeed, the components required to build a passive stereo depth sensing system are now widely available and inexpensive, yet require a talented engineering team (including hardware, software, and firmware engineers) to pull it off.

It has also recently partnered with Microsoft to further expand the possibilities of depth sensing.Marketed in partnership with OpenCV, the OAK-D is a unique depth camera that incorporates Intel’s Myriad X vision processing chip for on-device AI capabilities. According to Crunchbase, Orbbec has raised $200M, a formidable war chest. The Astra+ module nearly matches the Intel D435’s 10 meter range, as well as its relatively wide field of view. Now entering its 13th year, Occipital has raised nearly $50 million from investors, and appears to retain stability to continue offering its products well into the future.(Editor’s Note: the author was formerly a member of the Occipital team).Orbbec’s Astra range is extensive, much like the RealSense range was. From a range and field of view perspective, this sensor is a near match for what the D435i offers. For the sake of brevity, we’ll note what we believe to be the best direct replacement options.The Structure Core features an optics and sensing package that is very much like that which was found in the Intel RealSense D435i: a pattern projector, a frequency-matched infrared camera, an RGB camera, and an onboard IMU.

So what went wrong?RealSense hasn’t materialized into a big business for Intel. There’s also a great thread on ROS Discourse looking at RealSense alternatives. | Photo Credit: Tangram VisionFor a simple way to compare many currently available depth sensors to the Intel RealSense range of depth sensors, take a look at the depth sensor visualizer and comparison tool we created at Tangram Vision. We think the future is bright for Luxonis, assuming Intel continues to support Myriad X.Tangram Vision’s Depth Sensor Visualization Tool. We don’t have much insight into Luxonis’ financial stability however, in the field we are increasingly observing many companies experimenting with its sensors. And, for those who are wary of supporting Intel in the wake of its sudden elimination of RealSense, there are no guarantees that Intel’s refocusing on its core PC chip business won’t spell the demise of Myriad X either.The OAK-D was launched with a very successful Kickstarter campaign, which saw it benefit from the relationship with OpenCV.

And it’s likely the market will reward Intel shareholders as it recognizes the benefit of Intel further refocusing on its core product lines.This story is long from over. Sensor SDK companies like Tangram Vision could also benefit if companies seek a simpler integration path as they face adopting a new sensor into their existing and forthcoming product designs. Some might even say it’s surprising Intel committed itself to the platform for the years it has been in existence.Competing platforms from Occipital, Orbbec, Mynt, Stereolabs and others will benefit as companies that were once reliant on RealSense could look for alternatives. Therefore, its future has always in question. And that core business has been under pressure with Apple’s introduction of their bespoke M1 chip and AMD’s increasing competitiveness.

Learn how your comment data is processed. Adam was formerly General Manager of the Structure division for Occipital, and has worked in the computer vision industry for the past 15 years.Prior to launching Tangram Vision, Rodnitzky was a mentor at StartX, a seed stage accelerator focused on commercializing startups connected with Stanford University, and VP of marketing and GM of Occipital.This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.