SoftKinetic and TabletKiosk collaborate on 3D interface for tablets
Perhaps in light of Intel's goal of integrating 3D cameras into its devices by the end of 2014, SoftKinetic has partnered with TabletKiosk to bring what it calls the first-ever 3D interface to enterprise tablets. That chunky slab you see above is based on the Sahara Slate PC i500, but with the SoftKinetic DepthSense 3D camera set inside its lower bezel. As seen in our earlier hands-on with 3D-integrated laptops, the little cam can recognize faces and gestures from as close as 15 centimeters away thanks to a Time-of-Flight (ToF) depth sensor, so there's no need for lots of room. Of course, this is just a prototype, and we'll likely only see this in business implementations in the near future. That's a good thing, though, as it looks like it belongs more in a shopping mall than on your kitchen counter. For more on the device, have a peek at the press release after the break.
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TabletKiosk® And SoftKinetic® Collaborate On First Integrated 3D Interface for the Enterprise Tablet Market
Innovative Portable Device Combines 3D Interactions with Mobility
TAIPEI, Taiwan and TORRANCE, Calif., June 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SoftKinetic®, the world's leading provider of 3D vision and gesture recognition solutions, together with TabletKiosk®, a leading manufacturer of enterprise-grade tablet PCs and mobile accessories, today announced they have joined forces to bring embedded 3D camera technology to the portable Tablet PC market.
TabletKiosk has created a conceptual prototype using its successful Sahara Slate PC® i500 platform and integrating the SoftKinetic DepthSense® 3D camera. The new Tablet PC provides powerful performance and 3D capabilities for the most natural and intuitive user experience on the market, and will be demonstrated by SoftKinetic during Computex in Taipei June 4-6, 2013, at the W Hotel suite 1730.
"We are incredibly excited to work with TabletKiosk and to be at the forefront of a major shift in 3D capabilities for the all-in-one market," said Mitch Reifel , Vice President of Sales at SoftKinetic. "TabletKiosk's superior platform allows our cutting-edge camera and 3D technology to integrate seamlessly. The enterprise market is leading the change for portable 3D devices, and we are anxious to play a major role in reshaping the ways in which users interact with their devices."
In addition to popular features such as 3D facial and gesture recognition, the TabletKiosk prototype will offer advanced capabilities including 3D mapping, image capture and virtual reality for a more engaging user experience. The embedded SoftKinetic DS525 module, the first short-range 3D, RGB and Audio module on the market, features a patented Time-of-Flight (ToF) depth sensor that allows data recognition from as close as 15cm, at up to 60 frames-per-second (fps).
"With our Sahara Slate PC i500 platform we have created the ability to integrate different types of hardware that have, up to now, only been available as peripherals," said Martin Smekal , President and CEO at TabletKiosk. "Incorporating the SoftKinetic DS525 module has allowed us to create the 3D functionality we wanted, and to offer the enterprise market a completely new and unparalleled mobile computing experience."
TabletKiosk's conceptual tablet features Intel® Core™ i7 technology. Intel® has licensed iisu®, SoftKinetic's industry-leading middleware for close-range gesture tracking, as part of the Intel® Perceptual Computing Software Development Kit (SDK).
