June 8, 2016

Intel's RealSense 3D Sensor in a Rugged Commercial Tablet

MobileDemand’s xTablet T8650 is a rugged handheld device designed for 3D measurement. It boasts an 8” display, weighs under two pounds, has an IP rating of 65 (it’s sealed against water and dust), survives 26 drops onto plywood over concrete from five feet in the air, and can withstand operating temperatures from -10° C to 50° C.

It’s also one of the very first products on the market to use Intel’s RealSense 3D sensor, and to our knowledge the first intended for commercial use.

So, who is it for? SPAR 3D caught up with MobileDemand founder and president Matt Miller for more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLluL-KNwwQ

3D for Construction

Miller says that being early to market with a RealSense device means that they are still exploring the xTablet T8650’s potential markets. This is one the main reasons the company attended SPAR’s conference this year–and, not surprisingly, they found a lot of interest from the indoor surveying and construction crowd.

As Miller explained, the xTablet T8650 could be used by construction companies to get quick dimensions for a room during a remodel. But he realized the form-factor and price makes it ideal for even smaller jobs, too.

He said, “I think there could be applications like: You point it at a window and it recognizes the window and gives you the dimensions quickly. So we’re also talking with window companies that would be able to come into a home and measure the window’s dimensions and then say, ‘These are the sets of windows that would be able to fit within that frame.’ They could drag and drop to show real-time cost updates.”

Bringing 3D to New Customers

Another potential market for an inexpensive tablet 3D-scanning tool like the xTablet T8650: businesses that are generally ignored by the 3D-imaging space.

Miller said that MobileDemand has been working with Intel on bringing the technology to a number of underserved businesses. That includes use cases like “parcel delivery, for boxes, for confirmation of measurement sizes. There’s also the trucking and transportation industry, where it can be used for the measurement of pallets, and in the airline industry where it’s used for the measurement of luggage.”

Possibilities Ahead

Miller tells SPAR that the company is already planning a number of steps for the near future.

For one, they have also begun searching for partners, even beginning talks with number of companies in the auto-extraction and 3D-modeling space (including a very notable mobile-scanning company).

MobileDemand is also looking to integrate its processing app with third-party applications. If you’re a United Airlines gate agent, for instance, they hope one day you’ll be able open MobileDemand’s software within your United software, take a scan, and import the data back automatically. Integrating their software neatly with the programs companies are already using would make their product much easier to slip into existing workflows.

After talking with Miller, it sounds like the company’s most exciting possibilities lie in the nascent consumer 3D market. Releasing their RealSense tablet so early in the game will give MobileDemand advance time to develop their software, iterate their designs, and find the right ways to approach new markets. It gives them a head start on attracting a whole new kind of customer for 3D imaging–whomever that may be.

For more information, check out MobileDemand’s page.

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