Tag Archives: 3D camera

Intel RealSense Provides New Ways of Interacting with Laptops and Doors

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Intel RealSense 3D Camera

The chip maker has done one of the most interesting keynotes of CES 2015, unveiling all sorts of concepts that had the same technology at their core: the RealSense 3D imaging camera.

If until now we perceived most of the digital world in 2D, it’s time to make the switch to 3D, and Intel is ready to pave the way for this transition using its RealSense 3D imaging camera. Last year, the chip manufacturer showed us how this technology could be implemented in AIO PCs and tablets, but the CES demonstration proved that RealSense could find its way into more familiar scenarios.

When it comes to cooking, we all run of inspiration at some point. Thankfully, there are plenty of websites (allrecipes.com, foodwishes.com, so on and so forth) that can give us some fresh ideas when our mind seems to go blank in the kitchen. But after deciding which dish you’re going to prepare next, you need to either print the step-by-step instructions (that’s so 20th century, isn’t it?) or take the notebook/tablet with you while cooking. The problem is that the kitchen is not exactly the safest environment for mobile devices, as flour or salsa is the last thing that you might want on your keyboard or ports. You might wonder where I’m trying to get with this, and if I’m not simply delusional, getting from CPUs to recipes like that. Well, a notebook or tablet equipped with Intel’s RealSense camera would be able to interpret the gestures you’re making in mid air in order to scroll a webpage or go to the next step.

The way we interact with doors might also suffer some changes. Intel demonstrated how authentication could make its way into more mundane aspects of our lives. If people put a RealSense camera near their door to take 3D images of whoever is knocking, keys could become a thing of the past. Of course, once a person is authenticated, a connection would have to be established between the 3D camera and the electromagnetic lock, so that the door opens. I don’t see this becoming mainstream in the very near future, but it’s definitely something I would use.

Intel is getting involved in new areas, showing that they’re willing to go beyond CPUs, and that can only be a good thing, provided that they maintain the same quality standards.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the HP Sprout 3D scanning AIO PC, or the RealSense-equipped Dell Venue 8 7840 tablet.

LazeeEye Makes 3D Cameras Out of Regular Smartphones

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LazeeEye Prototype

3D camera smartphones haven’t had much success in the past, but maybe a gadget that turns regular smartphones into 3D cameras will be better received by people.

According to Heuristic Labs, the manufacturer of this gadget, LazeeEye is a portmanteau for laser and eye, no matter how much it sounds like a visual disorder. I’d like to think that the company could have picked a better name that doesn’t make people think of health problems. Regardless, it’s the purpose that LazeeEye serves more than its name that interests us. The gadget attaches to 3.5mm jack of iPhones or Android smartphones and with the help of a laser source, a mirror and a spatial modulating element, the phone is able to use a depth estimation algorithm in order to make stereo images.

To achieve this, the add-on module also comes with a stereo vision app that puts the computing hardware of the smartphone to use in order to create 3D images. Heuristic Labs compared its pencil-sized gadget to the likes of Microsoft Kinect and Google Project Tango, probably hoping that the world won’t realize that all of these devices serve different purposes, despite relying on 3D imaging. Project Tango smartphones and tablets, for example, will be used for indoor mapping, something that could make the life of visually impaired people a lot easier. Try doing that with 3D pictures!

The wiggle GIF effect that LazeeEye uses can indeed create the sensation of motion, but at the same time, it could make people sick, provided that they look at such a “3D image” for a bit longer than 2 seconds. The concept is definitely interesting, but I think it should have been advertised in a different manner, and maybe that way it would have been more successful.

Below is a video of the LazeeEye that the company shot just prior to launching a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Unfortunately, the goal of $250K was not met when the campaign ended this weekend (only $232K were pledged by backers). Given how close they were to getting their project funded, I’m firmly convinced that Heuristic Labs will try again, either on Kickstarter or on some other platform, as this wouldn’t be the first time a company takes a second shot at crowdfunding and being unsuccessful the first time.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Photojojo smartphone spy lens and Peek-i, an iPhone accessory that turns the phone into a spy camera.

3D Camera Cube

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The Moidoi is a camera for kids and is disguised as a play cube. It allows them to explore their world carefree and then reflect on it later. Essentially, the Moidoi has camera lenses placed on to the four sides of the cube and this allows children to capture three-dimensional images. The body of the camera (excluding the lenses and screens) is shock-resistant and made of smooth materials, making it safe for kids to play with.

Details:

  • Moidoi takes photos and videos.
  • In the ‘magical mode’ you can freely edit and change the images taken to stimulate the child’s creativity even more.
  • The user interface is inspired by the basic form of Lego blocks, which can be put together in an infinite number of ways.
  • Photos and videos could even be taken while it is being rolled along the ground.

Designer: Jinhwa Oh

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Take 3D Images Using Your Smartphone With LazeeEye

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LazeeEye

A 3D camera is expensive. A smartphone with an attachment that turns it into a 3D camera is not. I mean, you’ve already bought your phone anyway. Might as well cough up twenty more bucks to take three-dimensional images than spend hundreds of dollars on a 3D camera that you won’t be using at all times.

The attachment is called the LazeeEye and it works by making use of a laser illuminator hardware add-on and a stereo vision processing app that work together to bring you your 3D images. 

Once you’ve got your 3D image, the possibilities are endless: make models, take 3D measurements, and more. The LazeeEye is currently up for funding on Kickstarter, where a minimum pledge of $20 will get you a DIY kit. Make a $50 pledge to get the Hardware kit and pitch in $75 for a fully-assembled and tested LazeeEye, if you’re too lazy to put one together.

VIA [ Damn Geeky ]

The post Take 3D Images Using Your Smartphone With LazeeEye appeared first on OhGizmo!.

Nintendo 2DS Announced: It’s Just Like the 3DS, Except It’s More Confusing

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Nintendo’s announcement of the Nintendo 2DS is one of the most surprising developments in the gaming world this year. As an entry-level variant of the Nintendo 3DS, the 2DS can play all 3DS games and thousands more DS games. But unlike the 3DS and the 3DS XL, the 2DS can’t be folded. It’s upper screen also can’t display stereoscopic 3D, hence the lose-lose situation regarding its name. It’s an honest name, but for some people it will be like being told that a Honda Bivic exists. And it’s a Civic.

nintendo 2ds

According to Kotaku, the 2DS’ screens are the same size as the ones on the 3DS. The lower screen is still a touchscreen and the 2DS will also come with a stylus. But as you can see its Circle Pad and face buttons are on the upper half of the device. I think the buttons were shifted up so that the shoulder buttons – which are at the top of the device – will still be within your index finger’s reach while your thumbs are on the Circle Pad and face buttons.

nintendo 2ds 2

Aside from the “slate” form and the lack of a stereoscopic 3D display, the 2DS has a few other deficiencies compared to its big brothers. For one, it only has a mono speaker, but you can still get stereo audio via its headphone jack. It also has no physical Wi-Fi switch; you’ll have to toggle that from within the menu. So it’s a lesser device, but that means it also has a lower price. It will only cost $130 (USD), $40 cheaper than the 3DS and $70 cheaper than the 3DS XL.

*Update: Kotaku also shared Nintendo Europe’s nifty comparison chart (pdf) between all three 3DS models.* The Nintendo 2DS will be available on 10/12/2013, which is also the day Pokémon X and Y are released. That timing should help push units right from the get go; it will be enough for many people to see that the 2DS can play the latest Pokémon game. But only time will tell if Nintendo’s questionable naming scheme and hilarious yet also depressing decision to ditch their system’s main feature will pay off.

nintendo 2ds 3

Will customers think that there are 2DS games? Or that the 2DS can’t play 3DS games? Will developers still care about the quality and functionality of stereoscopic 3D in their 3DS games? Will Nintendo finally realize that they have to come up with a practical naming scheme for their devices? Seriously, why didn’t they just name it the 3DS Jr.?

[via Nintendo & Kotaku]

Poppy Turns the iPhone Into a 3D Camera: View-Master 2.0

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So far 3D video hasn’t taken off like high definition did, but that hasn’t stopped entrepreneurs from exploring its potential. But while most 3D-capable gadgets tout their cutting edginess, the inventors of Poppy did the opposite. The gadget, which allows you to shoot and view 3D videos and images using an iPhone or iPod Touch, is a throwback through and through.

poppy iphone 3d camera

If nothing else, I love how it looks. It’s not shiny, streamlined or made of machined aluminum – it’s a freaking plastic box. Even the way it works is low-tech. The Poppy has no moving or electronic parts. It just uses lenses and mirrors to achieve the 3D effect. The only high tech component of course is your iOS device. The Poppy only works with the iPhone 4, 4S and 5 and the 5th generation iPod Touch.

In the end though, the Poppy is up against the same problem that other 3D gadgets have. It promises a see-it-to-believe-it experience that just can’t be demonstrated or previewed. Still, that hasn’t stopped it from blowing through its Kickstarter goal with almost a month left on its fundraiser. Pledge at least $49 (USD) on Kickstarter to get a Poppy as a reward.

Lynx A 3D camera hits Kickstarter, ready to motion capture your donations

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Image

Every time we write up a 3D printer, we get a deluge of folks asking just how easy it is to render a 3D model. The answer is, unless you're well-versed CAD, not very. Austin-based Lynx Laboratories is working to help bring the learning curve for 3D rendering down a bit, with the Lynx A, a "point-and-shoot 3D camera" it claims is even easier to use than many standard digital cameras. The list of things the tablet-shaped device can do is impressive, indeed, including digital measure, architectural rending, object modeling and motion capture -- the latter of which has some interesting applications in the movie and gaming spaces. The project's Kickstarter is now open, steadily heading toward its $50,000 goal, with 44 days to go. A starting pledge of $1,799 will get you one of the 14-inch devices to call your own. Not convinced? Perhaps the video after the break will put you over the 3D edge.

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Source: Kickstarter

Microsoft applies to patent gaze-tracking camera, wants to stare into your eyes

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Microsoft applies to patent gazetracking camera, wants to stare into your eyes

See that complication of a line-drawing above? Well that's Microsoft describing how it would like to patent a function for a dual 3D and 2D camera setup that's able to process precisely where your eyes fall on a screen. While Kinect could fulfill that hardware component, the application goes into more detail on how the "gaze tracker" would calculate both the direction you're looking in and track the region of the screen that you're focusing on. It aims to do this by closely following your eye -- more specifically the pupil and iris -- with some attention also paid to monitoring the orientation of your head. The Mountain View crew aren't too specific with the remit for the notion, but it could follow similar lines to an Apple patent application we've seen previously -- heck, it could even lead to some eyeball-based UI navigation. Let your mind wander over the possibilities and stare at the full application at the source below.

Microsoft applies to patent gaze-tracking camera, wants to stare into your eyes originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 05:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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