Geo Week News

August 29, 2016

Intel Euclid is a 3D Scanner and a Computer… The Size of a Candy Bar

euclid-2

At Intel’s Developer Forum last week, the company unveiled a number of advanced technologies that exploit the company’s RealSense 3D cameras. For the DIY crowd (and the 3D-scanning crowd) perhaps the most interesting announcement was the Euclid developer kit.

In a case the size of a candy bar, the Euclid combines a RealSense 3D camera, an Intel Atom processor, wireless connectivity, more sensors, and a battery.

During the unveiling, Intel explained that developers could either load applications created by Intel or write their own. An Intel roboticist then demonstrated one of the pre-written applications that gives robots the ability to follow people around. He simply loaded the application to the Euclid, plugged it into the robot, and the robot was on its way.

Maker Magazine is calling the plug-and-play platform the “most comprehensive robotic sensor for makers yet,” but there seem to be opportunities for other uses as well.

Considering that companies are already selling devices that combine a RealSense camera with a tablet, it doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility that a Euclid could be used as a part of a small, low-powered 3D-scanning device.

Such a device would likely be inexpensive (given Intel’s ability to manufacture at scale). It would be well-suited to open up new uses for 3D-imaging, for instance, in professions that would benefit from a simple 3D-imaging device but lack the funds for existing technologies. By combining all the components necessary for 3D-scanning into a simple form-factor, Euclid could even make a serious play for the consumer market.

 

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