SoftKinetic is looking to change the way people interact with the digital world. They have recently unveiled a new depth sensor, 8 years in the making, that offers end-to-end 3D gesture recognition. It has no problem working in the dark or dim-light situations and works in confined areas better than its competition. Look at you, Microsoft Kinect. I originally saw this tech at CES 2012.
The sensor uses a patented time-of-flight(TOF) technology that can provide 3D distance data at up to 60 fps. The sensor seemed much more responsive that the Kinect, almost zero lag. It works by an infrared light, which is projected into a room, and the sensor measures the time period that it takes to return. It can precisely detect objects in the room and then process the distance data into a sharp 3D RGB image. In addition, the data include depth maps and grey-scale separation for software purposes. It can operate between a range of 1.5 to 4.5 meters and includes a dual microphone feature for audio input.
The technology will cost around $500 to buy a development kit for your own projects, but SoftKinetic is also looking to integrate these into new TVs and possibly laptops. However, they will have to size them down first before they could make the smooth transition into consumer technologies. At the moment, the SDK for the DepthSense system is available at their website, iisu SDK for Windows or Linux.
Cabe
