The Kinect motion sensing camera, first introduced in 2010, appears to have had its first major overhaul. PrimeSense, the company behind the the motion sensing input technology, has revealed a sensor that is small enough to fit into tablets. The sensor, known as “Capri”, does not compromise too much from the shrinkage (which IEEE notes has shrunk by “a factor of 10”), especially in terms of hardware.
The new “Capri” sensor retains the original sensor’s range of 0.8m to 3.5m, but drops the VGA RGB camera for a black-and-white one of the same resolution. However, since the USB 2.0-powered sensor only tracks motion, an RGB camera is unnecessary and adds to the cost of the technology. The company hopes that the sensor would eventually be small enough to fit into smartphones, although PrimeSense also hopes to be a catalyst for “a world of 3D sensing”, as shown in the rather cheesy video below. However, some applications of the future sensors does seem pretty practical, and more than just mere gimmick.
What do you think?
(Source: IEEE)
