The future of computing at Intel !!!
If the next big wave in devices turns out to be gestures and eye tracking, Intel wants to be ready.
Intel is the king of PCs, but it hasn't always been ahead of evolving
innovations. Its processors power more than 80 percent of the world's
computers and the vast majority of its servers, but Intel has made
little headway in smartphones and tablets. To spur interest in PCs
again, as well as persuade more mobile device makers to use its chips,
Intel has devoted significant resources and efforts to something it
calls "perceptual computing."
Perceptual computing may sound like
a jargony, marketing term, but it does just what it says -- it uses the
senses to help technology interpret what's going on around it. Those
features, such as gestures, facial recognition, and voice recognition,
should all make devices more "natural, intuitive, and immersive," says
Anil Nanduri, one of the Intel executives in charge of the company's
efforts in perceptual computing.
Inside Intel's perceptual computing lab (pictures)
The goal is getting "sensory inputs that make [computers]
more human like," Nanduri said. "Once you give computers the ability to
assess depth, a lot of wonderful things can happen."
Devices
will be able to sense emotion and detect a person's biometric data
simply using a camera. They'll be able to carry on conversations with
users and understand context -- or what "play me some jazz" means --
instead of simply following commands. Computers will be able to pick out
individual fingers instead of simply recognizing an entire hand or the
fact that a person is present. And they'll create more immersive
augmented reality, such as digital versions of children's pop-up books.
In the case of Intel, the company is placing particular emphasis on
vision and teaching devices to recognize depth. That's made possible
through 3D cameras. The company has partnered with Creative on 3D
cameras, which should show up integrated into devices such as PCs and
tablets in the second half of 2014.
"Once you give computers the ability to assess depth, a lot of wonderful things can happen." --Intel's Anil Nanduri
A big pitfall for companies like Intel is the hyper focus on
speeds and feeds, making technology that's the most powerful without
necessarily considering all the ways it might be used. For perceptual
computing, Intel says it's starting with software and users first and
then moving to the hardware.
To do that, Intel released a
software development kit last year to get developers interested in the
technology. Since that time, the SDK has been downloaded more than
26,000 times. Intel is so serious about perceptual computing that it has
even sponsored contests -- with $100 million in prizes -- to get app
developers interested in the technology. Intel will announce the latest
crop of winners soon.
"For the users, what am I getting for it?"
Nanduri said. "That's why we started a year early, focusing on the
ecosystem more so than talking about bringing this into hardware or a
device."
But now Intel believes the ecosystem has advanced enough that
it's time to talk hardware. Devices will show up next year that contain
elements of Intel's perceptual computing efforts. And it hopes all of
those will use its chips. Technically, some features could be possible
using chips such as those from Qualcomm.
However, Intel says the amount
of horsepower needed to run the features smoothly will require its
higher-end chips.
Initially, the perceptual computing features
will only work with Intel's Core line traditionally used in PCs and
some tablets, not its lower-power Atom line used in mobile devices.
However, the company plans to eventually make the features run on its
more energy efficient processors, and it's also adding accelerators,
tools, and graphics to its chips to take advantage of the perceptual
computing capabilities.
"We're already thinking ahead and looking at the use cases people need
two to three years out from now and putting them into our silicon,"
Nanduri said.
Some elements of perceptual computing have already shown up in products. The Kinect for Microsoft's Xbox
is one example, as are Siri and Google Now for voice recognition.
However, Intel says it's taking those a step further by focusing on
short-range interaction of less than a meter. That means the technology
needs a very fine level of recognition, with the ability to pick out
specific fingers instead of just noticing an arm or if entire person is
present.
But it still will be a challenge for Intel to make
features that are truly useful and not just gimmicky. Intel acknowledges
that gesturse and other features won't be ideal for all instances.
Computer users, for instance, won't be making slideshows by waving their
hands in the air. But they might use gestures when showing the
slideshow to friends.
Gaming, in particular, is one area where
perceptual computing could really take off, Nanduri said, as well as
education and related fields. And it's not just about PCs. This
technology will show up in a wide range of devices in the coming years,
he said.
The company is sure to provide more details and demos in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
"Perceptual computing is about everything and is device agnostic in many ways," Nanduri said. "It's going to be everywhere."
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http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57614001-92/wave-fingers-make-faces-the-future-of-computing-at-intel/
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