LAS VEGAS — Intel is pushing hard for new kinds of interfaces on PCs. At CES 2014, it debuted a new technology called RealSense, which aims to make technologies like voice control, computer vision and 3D printing more commonplace.
In the near future, people would "open a car door with our finger, receive constant information about our health" and use devices that "interface directly with your brain," Eden said.
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One of the first hardware products with RealSense is a tiny camera that can be built into any number of devices. The camera has the ability to measure depth, enabling it to capture 3D information, which has numerous applications.
In a live demo, Mooly Eden, Intel's general manager of perceptual computing, showed how a device with the camera can perform real-time adjustments to a video stream, changing the background of a Skype conversation with Justine Ezarik (aka iJustine) on the fly — something you would normally need a green screen for.
Gesture control was featured as well. Eden showed a RealSense-enabled Windows 8 PC that responded to hand movements, but without the need for an external peripheral like Leap Motion.
Intel also announced a formal collaboration with 3D Systems, a move to bring 3D printing to more people. 3D Systems CEO Abraham N. Reichental said he aimed to change the question from "Should I get a 3D printer?" to "Which room should my 3D printer be in?"
Eden was particularly enthusiastic about voice control, stating it was more natural than touch, since we don't usually communicate through touch. Using Nuance's Dragon software, an Intel presenter called up an episode of Family Guy from the homescreen of a PC without first explaining it was a TV show.
Intel says its RealSense technology will come to PCs in the second half of 2014 for Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo and NEC.
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Image: Mashable, Pete Pachal
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