RealSense, identified for its 3D depth cameras for robotics, is formally working as an impartial firm. RealSense spun out from Intel Corp. late final week with $50 million in funding from Intel Capital and MediaTek Innovation Fund.
The Robotic Report first reported in January that this spinoff was coming.
This marks the top of a tumultuous chapter for Santa Clara, Calif.-based RealSense. In 2021, Intel introduced it was winding down the RealSense enterprise, solely to shortly reverse course. The blended alerts left many within the robotics group unsure about the way forward for RealSense. Intel has additionally confronted many challenges throughout this timeframe, together with a number of rounds of main layoffs.
RealSense CEO Nadav Orbach stated the brand new firm has 130 workers. He stated 115 of these came to visit from Intel, with 15 new hires from outdoors corporations. Each worker who came to visit from Intel acquired inventory choices within the new firm. RealSense stated this not solely rewards the founding crew but in addition strengthens its potential to draw high expertise.
“We’re 130 founders now,” stated Orbach, who spent 19-plus years at Intel, together with the previous 15 targeted on imaginative and prescient and imaging. “We see ourselves as a startup within the bodily AI area — nimble, targeted, and constructing the instruments robots want to know the world.”
A RealSense Depth Digital camera D455 is embedded within the neck of Agility Robotics’ Digit humanoid to assemble 3D info for object detection, collision avoidance, and terrain mapping. | Credit score: RealSense
RealSense doubles down on imaginative and prescient software program
RealSense’s depth-sensing know-how already powers 1000’s of robots, together with autonomous cell robots (AMRs), robotic arms, and an rising variety of humanoids. The corporate claimed that it’s already working with 60% of AMR and humanoid builders, together with corporations corresponding to Geek+ and Agility Robotics. RealSense stated it has 3,000-plus clients.
Past its core digital camera {hardware}, Orbach stated RealSense is doubling down on software program. One key space of funding is visible SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping), which is crucial for navigation in AMRs. One other is 3D security to assist robots detect and keep away from hazards of their environments.
“We need to be extra than simply the eyes of a robotic,” stated Orbach. “We need to be a robotic’s visible cortex — decoding, localizing, and appearing in real-time. Which means pushing extra intelligence to the sting, instantly on the digital camera.”
RealSense lately launched the D555 PoE digital camera and a brand new in-house ASIC that delivers 5 TOPS of on-board AI compute. This unlocks new APIs and software program options corresponding to real-time telemetry, edge processing, and customizable imaginative and prescient pipelines. Orbach stated these are capabilities that builders have more and more demanded as robotics programs develop into extra advanced.
RealSense has some stiff competitors. Corporations corresponding to Luxonis, Orbbec, Zivid, and others supply high-performance 3D cameras. One other competitor, Photoneo, was acquired by Zebra Applied sciences in late 2024.
Break from Intel opens partnership potentialities
Whereas RealSense now operates independently, Intel stays a minority investor and holds a board seat. The spinout features a transition companies settlement to make sure continuity, however RealSense stated it has its personal provide chain, authorized infrastructure, and R&D crew. Manufacturing of RealSense’s customized chips, as an example, has lengthy been dealt with by TSMC, not Intel.
“There have been nice issues about being inside Intel,” stated Orbach. “However there have been actual limitations, too, particularly round capital allocation, advertising and marketing, and partnerships. Now, we will transfer quicker, take extra strategic dangers, and type alliances that weren’t potential earlier than.”
That agility is already paying off. Alongside legacy AMR and industrial robotics clients, RealSense is discovering adoption in sectors like agriculture, retail automation, and even aquaculture, the place its sensors assist monitor fish populations underwater. With AI booming and demand for spatial understanding rising throughout industries, Orbach sees broad alternative forward.
Robotics builders have lengthy had considerations concerning the stability of 3D sensor suppliers. Bear in mind what occurred with Microsoft’s Azure Kinect? However Orbach stated the RealSense crew has heard that longtime clients are relieved that the product line won’t solely proceed, however develop.
“There was some concern whereas we had been nonetheless underneath Intel,” he stated. “Prospects wished to know we weren’t going to get deprioritized. Now, they see a devoted crew with funding, a roadmap, and full management over its future.”
