Walyou

Intel Will Bring 3D Scanners to Tablets and Smartphones in 2015

Posted: 19 Sep 2014 01:50 PM PDT

The world’s largest semiconductor maker has developed a 3D scanner small enough to fit in the bezel of consumer tablets. The first mobile devices to feature it will be available sometime next year.

The emergence of 3D printers and scanners will radically transform a lot of industries. As 3D printers get more affordable, we should find ways to scan anything we want in order to reproduce it. One issue some 3D scanners have is that they cannot tell the dimensions of the scanned object. Intel’s RealSense depth-sensing technology, on the other hand, can make use of the tablet’s camera to estimate the dimensions, and the measurement is reasonably accurate.

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich explained that “Our goal is to just have a tablet that you can go out and buy that has this capability. Eventually within two or three years I want to be able to put it on a phone.” He also expressed his enthusiasm about being able just copy any object in 3D: “The idea is you go out, you see something you like and you just capture it.”

During the demonstration made at MakerCon, Krzanich showed the world how a human can be scanned and rendered in 3D in a matter of minutes. Upon doing so, the resulting 3D model can be manipulated or 3D printed. I imagine that this would make special effects in movies a lot easier.

Stand-up comedians often laugh about Chinese people making knock-offs of major brands, and if 3D scanners turned mainstream with the help of Intel, things could get a very interesting turn. Of course, some products are made with technologies that aren’t visible to the naked eye. Give it a few years, though, and I bet we’ll have 3D printers for clothes and basically anything you can think of.

Intel won’t stop at putting 3D scanners in tablets and smartphones, though. The company also intends to put them in drones. Depending on the purpose, that could get really interesting. In the wrong hands, however, 3D scanning drones could represent the perfect tools for espionage.

The Dell Venue 8 7840 scamera that Intel showcased earlier this year can be considered a predecessor of 3D scanning tablets, as its six cameras work together in order to tell depth. It will be interesting to see what other technologies Intel has in store for us, as in the past few weeks they rolled out surprise after surprise.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Intel RealSense Dell Venue 8 7840 Android tablet, and Intel’s collaboration with Fossil on wearables.

TROBO Plush Toy Robot Teaches Kids Math and Science Through Stories

Posted: 19 Sep 2014 12:33 PM PDT

Sooner or later, we have to get used with robots controlling our lives, so it’s probably better to start at an early age. TROBO is an educational robot that makes use of stories, games and quizzes to pass on knowledge in a way that’s very pleasant for the children.

Educational robots are definitely not a new thing, but putting one inside a plush toy in order to make it more huggable is a great take on that. Developed by Jeremy Scheinberg, a University of Pennsylvania engineering grad, and Chris Harden, a former Development Director with EA Sports, the TROBO plush toy robot is meant to modernize the way kids learn basic things about STEM topics (science, technology, engineering and math). Best of all, the topics are adapted so that they include modern things such as the Internet, 3D printing, rocket engineering and more.

As Harden explained, he and his collaborator had the idea of creating this robot after having kids themselves: “Witnessing his daughter Sophia spend hours learning to be a princess, led Jeremy to want something more foundational for her future. He wanted to share his love of learning technology and engineering with his daughter. I had a similar experience with Asher, who spends a significant amount of time with Hot Wheels cars and mindlessly watching cars on YouTube.”

TROBO comes with a companion app that’s currently only available for iPads. Hopefully an Android version of the app will be provided soon so that more people can use this plush robot. “We agreed that tablets had to be central to the concept, and that a physical experience with emotional companionship was critical to engaging the children,” added Harden.

The plush robot is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Harden and Scheinberg are looking to raise the $60K necessary for TROBO to enter mass production. At press time, backers pledged more than $26K, and since there are 17 more days to go, it’s almost a certainty that the campaign will be successful. In that event, anyone who pledged $50 or more should expect to receive the robot in November 2015. That’s quite a lot to wait, but it should be worth it, especially since the retail price will most likely be much higher than that.