Intel and Razer Demonstrate RealSense Camera at Intel Developer Forum

Intel’s RealSense camera technology, which is capable of estimating depth, will soon be released in the form of a Razer product. The camera can be used in both software and gaming applications. Intel has given demos of the webcam on IDF.

Intel’s RealSense cameras can already be found in several laptops, but with the introduction of a standalone RealSense camera, additional applications for gamers and streamers should become possible. For example, the Razer camera makes a green screen for streamers superfluous; the camera itself can distinguish between subject and background. This technique can also be used to log into Windows using facial recognition. Intel already gave a demonstration of RealSense at CES 2015.

In addition, the camera can track a player’s head and adjust the field of view based on the direction he’s looking, something Intel and Razer demonstrated in the context of a racing game. There was also a demonstration where the camera scanned an object and imported it directly into Minecraft. Finally, Intel’s Edison robot was present, which can interact with people thanks to the gesture recognition offered by the camera.

The RealSense camera may also be used as a complement to a VR headset. For example, the player’s movements can be registered in the virtual world, which is then visible via the headset. Intel has announced support for Linux, OS X, Robot Operating System, the Unreal Engine and Unity. Support for Android and Windows was already there. The Razer camera should go on sale in the first quarter of 2016. It is not yet known how much it will cost.