Autonomous Drone Dodges Obstacles Without GPS

If you're [Nick Rehm], you want a drone that can plan its own routes even at low altitudes with unplanned obstacles blocking its way. (Video, embedded below.) And or course, you build it from scratch.

Why? Getting a drone that can fly a path and even return home when the battery is low, signal is lost, or on command, is simple enough. Just go to your favorite retailer, search "gps drone" and you can get away for a shockingly low dollar amount. This is possible GPS receivers have become cheap, small, light, and power efficient. While all of these can fly a predetermined path, they usually do so by flying over any obstacles rather than around.

[Nick Rehm] has envisioned a quadcopter that can do all of the things a GPS-enabled drone can do, without the use of a GPS receiver. [Nick] makes this possible by using the algorithms similar to those used by Google Maps, with data coming from a typical IMU, a camera for Computer Vision, LIDAR for altitude, and an Intel RealSense camera for detection of position and movement. A Raspberry Pi 4 running Robot Operating System runs the autonomous show, and a Teensy takes care of flight control duties.

What we really enjoy about [Nick]'s video is his clear presentation of complex technologies, and a great sense of humor about a project that has consumed untold amounts of time, patience, and duct tape.

We can't help but wonder if DARPA will allow [Nick] to fly his drone in the Subterranean Challenge such as the one hosted in an unfinished nuclear power plant in 2020.

#dronehacks #autonomousaircraft #autonomousdrone #gps #intelrealsense #lidar #opencv #opticalflow

RealSense No Longer Makes Sense For Intel

We love depth-sensing cameras and every neat hack they enabled, but this technological novelty has yet to break through to high volume commercial success. So it was sad but not surprising when CRN reported that Intel has decided to wind down their RealSense product line.

As of this writing, one of the better confirmations for this report can be found on the RealSense SDK GitHub repository README. The good news is that core depth-sensing RealSense products will continue business as usual for the foreseeable future, balanced by the bad news is that some interesting offshoots (facial authentication, motion tracking) will be declared "End of Life" immediately and phased out over the next six months.

This information tells us while those living out on the bleeding edge will have to scramble, there is no immediate crisis for everyone else, whether they be researchers, hobbyists, or product planners. But this also means there will be no future RealSense cameras, kicking off many "What's Next?" discussions in various communities. Like this thread on ROS (Robot Operating System) Discourse.

Three popular alternatives offer distinctly different tradeoffs. The "Been Around The Block" name is Occipital, with their more expensive Structure Pro sensor. The "Old Name, New Face" option is Microsoft Azure Kinect, the latest non-gaming-focused successor to the gaming peripheral that started it all. And let's not forget OAK-D as the "New Kid On The Block" that started with a crowdfunding campaign and building an user community by doing things like holding contests. Each of these will appeal to a different niche, and we'll keep our eye open in the future. Let's see if any of them find the success that eluded the original Kinect, Google's Tango, and now Intel's RealSense.

[via Engadget]

#hardware #news #robotshacks #computervision #depthcamera #depthsensor #intel #intelrealsense #machinevision #realsense #smartcamera

Intel is Dropping Development of its AI-Powered RealSense Cameras

Intel's RealSense cameras were originally designed for touch-free interactions but pivoted to specifically facial recognition in January. Today, Intel confirmed that it is "winding down" its high-tech camera and sensor development to focus on its core chip business.

In a statement to CRN, Intel says that it has decided to pull the plug on camera and sensor development. While perhaps unexpected, Engadget points out that the RealSense team's leader Sagi Ben Moshe announced he was leaving Intel two weeks ago.

"We are winding down our RealSense business and transitioning our computer vision talent, technology and products to focus on advancing innovative technologies that better support our core businesses and IDM 2.0 strategy," an Intel spokesperson said in an emailed statement to CRN. "We will continue to meet our commitments to our current customers and are working with our employees and customers to ensure a smooth transition."

RealSense was originally pitched to prospective customers as a fast, easy way to build products that were equipped with computer vision. The RealSense line consisted of stereoscopic, LiDAR, and coded light cameras and camera modules that would be able to support high frame rates and high resolutions in various form factors.

Credit: Intel Corporation

Eventually, the RealSense team pivoted to focus specifically on facial recognition in a way that is most easily compared to Apple's FaceID technology.

“Intel RealSense ID combines active depth with a specialized neural network, a dedicated system-on-chip and embedded secure element to encrypt and process user data quickly and safely,” the company said in January, also promising that it would work just as fast as customers had become accustomed to with Apple Face ID.

Intel was selling its RealSense ID as cheaply as $99 for a module or in packs of 10 for $750. Intel began shipping units in March, but with this announcement will only complete current orders and not be accepting any new ones as it winds down the business that has only been selling units for five months.

CRN spoke with Kent Tibbils, the Vice President of Marketing at ASI, a Fremont, California-based distributor of RealSense products. He told CRN that while he wasn't aware of the plan to shutter the entire RealSense business, it did not come as a surprise to him as there were only a few customers who were buying small numbers of units. He says that it was a niche product that was very specialized and therefore wasn't moving quickly or in large numbers.

Engadget notes that this decision makes sense from the perspective of Intel's stated goals. The company's CEO Pat Gelsinger has said that he wants Intel to reclaim the chipmaking crown, a battle that it has been losing to AMD. To that end, the company is shifting its focus and resources to that core set of goals and the RealSense tech which wasn't moving the needle much is a byproduct of that decision.

#news #technology #aifacialrecognition #apple #depthsensing #faceid #facialrecognition #intel #intelrealsense #realsense