Intel’s RealSense 3D camera has only just begun its integration into computers, tablets, and notebooks, and the technology is already making changes to the 3D printing industry. According to CTimes, Taiwanese 3D printer manufacturer XYZprinting plans to team up with Intel to take advantage of the chip maker’s 3D camera to translate 3D photos into directly 3D printable files.
The new RealSense depth-sensing camera was unveiled at CES last month, shown working with both the Acer Aspire V 17 Nitro notebook, Lenovo B50 desktop computer, and the Dell Venue 8 7000 Series tablet. The device is made up of a 2D camera, an infrared camera, and an infrared laser projector, giving users the ability to use apps through gesture control, but also to scan 3D objects for manipulation in the digital world and 3D printing.
According to Simon Shen, Chairperson of XYZprinting parent company Kinpo Group, the company has a goal of working with Intel to create 3D printable files from 3D data captured from the RealSense. Shen comments, “One of the challenges in 3D printing industry is lacking the proper figure files for downloading, users also have limited knowledge and technology to make their own 3D figure files.” CTimes suggests that the company hopes to use the camera as their printers’ “input terminal”. What I take this to mean is that the camera may replace or augment the current scanner in the company’s da Vinci AiO combination 3D printer and scanner. Or, the device could go one step further and use the RealSense to actually control the printer itself, in addition to scanning objects. That’s just a thought, though!
Intel is much too large to be considered a 3D printing company, but its recent partnership with HP to power their Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing process and the integration of its RealSense 3D camera into laptops, computers, and tablets is indicative of the 3D printing industry’s absorption into the larger tech industry. By this time next year, the 3D printing industry may be fully incorporated into the larger ecosystem.
