Intel is intent to boost its RealSense platform by acquiring Dublin-based computer vision startup Movidius.
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“Movidius’ market-leading family of computer vision SoCs complements Intel’s RealSense offerings in addition to our broader IP and product roadmap”, wrote Walden.
For example, Movidius’ latest SoC, the Myriad 2, fits a high-performance, low-power consumption processor with a programmable architecture onto a fingernail-sized chip.
Essentially, computer vision is a technology that aims to give computers and smart machines the ability visually process their surroundings and act accordingly. The SoC is notably used with Google’s Project Tango to power augmented reality (AR) software, now found in Lenovo’s Phab 2 Pro smartphone. “Specifically, we will look to deploy the technology across our efforts in augmented, virtual and merged reality (AR/VR/MR), drones, robotics, digital security cameras and beyond”.
Readying for the takeoff of such nascent categories as drones, robots and VR, the deal will position Intel as a leader of Cloud-to-device providers, said Josh Walden, senior VP and general manager, Intel new technology group, in a company statement. Intel has complimented its acquisition of Movidius with the purchase of several machine learning, cognitive computing and deep learning companies.
Intel, whose microprocessors are the mainstay of most computers, has acknowledged that its general-purpose x86 design may not be sufficient for some artificial-intelligence jobs.
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This year has seen the chipmaker showcase Project Alloy, a reference platform for a wireless VR headset that packs all the sensors and chips needed to power it within the headset, rather than relying on external sensors or a PC to provide the processing grunt. Cognitive algorithms coupled with AI can be used to deliver more sophisticated robotic technology and this is an area which Intel believes can prove to be a disruptive technology for the United Kingdom tech channel. When computers can see, they can become autonomous and that’s just the beginning.
