Intel Unveils Its Cheapest RealSense D4-Powered Depth Camera Yet: The RealSense D421
Available for just $80, as long as you're buying them in packs of 10, the new module promises 720p depth information at up to 60fps.
Intel has launched a new RealSense depth-sensing camera, described as an "entry level" part designed to deliver a 1280×720 resolution at up to 60 frames per second for just $80 — as long as you're willing to buy 10 at a time.
"[The] Intel RealSense Depth Module D421 is the first all-in-one module integrating the D4 Vision Processor with the optical module on the same board," the company says of the new hardware. "The Intel RealSense vision processor D4 does all depth calculations onboard, making this a low power, platform-agnostic device."
The depth module, brought to our attention by CNX Software, uses one-megapixel global-shutter imaging sensors to deliver a stereoscopic depth feed at up to 1280×720 resolution and 60 frames per second, with a claimed sub-four per cent margin of error at seven feet. The compact module connects to a host via USB Type-C, which is also used for power, and is supported in the Intel RealSense SDK 2.0 software development kit.
The launch comes despite Intel's announcement in August 2021 that it was to shutter the RealSense division, opened six years prior, in order to "focus on advancing innovative technologies that better support our core business." The company's about-face on the matter may be related to recent financial results, or simply one of demand: even after it began the winding-down process, Intel's RealSense cameras remained the go-to hardware for a range of robotics projects.
Intel is recommending the D421 module for mobile robots, 3D scanners, toys, and 3D glasses, with the ability to ease the host processor's workload by computing all depth information on-device using the company's D4 processor — a compact chip released in 2018 and which has already been used in more expensive models from the company.
More information on the D421 Depth Camera Module is available on the Intel RealSense website; the company has listed it for pre-order at $800 for a 10-pack, with a previous listing placing individual units at $75 each having been taken down shortly after its unveiling.
Freelance journalist, technical author, hacker, tinkerer, erstwhile sysadmin. For hire: freelance@halfacree.co.uk.