The Intel RealSense D421 Depth Module. | Credit: Intel
We were a little surprised in mid-September 2024 with the launch of the entry-level Intel RealSense Depth Module D421. With the recent financial turmoil and changes at the company, there was uncertainty whether Intel would continue to invest in the product line.
Well, today The Robot Report learned more about the plans for the line of depth cameras. Intel is spinning out RealSense as an independent company. Intel said this will be done in the first half of 2025, with the new business being an Intel Capital portfolio company.
“After ten years of incubation, Intel is unleashing the potential of the Intel RealSense computer vision-AI portfolio in a standalone ICAP portfolio company by the first half of 2025,” Intel said in a statement to The Robot Report. “We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for our customers and continue to provide support throughout the process.”
Intel said spinning out RealSense is not a direct result of the company’s recent financial struggles.
“Intel incubates leading-edge, disruptive technologies and businesses to validate customer need and market acceptance. At a certain level of scale, it makes sense for these businesses to operate outside of Intel, with the flexibility to operate in a way that the market demands and the ability to invest in key growth areas. This enables the spinout to make faster decisions, have greater customer solution flexibility, and remain nimble in competitive markets.
“No. Intel is executing this spinout because we believe in the value of the company and are confident in its success as a standalone company. This decision aligns with our ongoing transformation and will help us further align to our strategic goal of focusing on our core businesses.”
Intel told The Robot Report that the new version of RealSense will maintain the same product roadmap, the same SKUs, and will continue providing the same support and level of service for its customers.
“The new company will continue to develop AI-powered computer vision solutions and deliver current Intel RealSense portfolio and our committed roadmap, including RealSense depth cameras, facial authentication solutions, autonomous mobile robotic solutions, and physical therapy metrics. RealSense plans to expand its roadmap to include new innovations in stereo vision, robotics, and biometrics AI software and hardware.”
RealSense has always been a small part of Intel’s business. It likely benefitted from the financial stability and extensive resources of Intel. Operating within a tech giant’s ecosystem provided a safety net for R&D, as well as access to a vast network of industry partners.
Will all that hold true as a standalone company? Will the new RealSense need to raise outside funding? We have lots of questions for Intel and are hoping to learn more soon.
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New chapter for RealSense
Intel RealSense depth cameras are a popular choice for developers of mobile robots and industrial pick-and-place robots. Intel details some robotics customers on its website.
One example is ANYbotics‘ ANYmal quadruped. According to Intel, each ANYmal robot has six Intel RealSense D435 modules that work together to create an elevation map that helps the robot navigate around a site and traverse difficult terrain, including climbing stairs.
How will this new independence affect the confidence of its current customers? We’ll have to wait and see.
We do know this is yet another new chapter in what’s been a three-and-a-half-year saga filled with twists and turns. In August 2021, Intel stunned the robotics industry by announcing it was shutting down RealSense to focus on core businesses. This even caught internal RealSense leaders by surprise at the time.
However, Intel quickly reversed course, opting to keep RealSense alive but with a reduced lineup.
The robotics industry has long been riding a roller coaster when searching for low-cost, high-quality depth sensing. With RealSense spinning out as a standalone company, this narrative takes another surprising turn. RealSense is freed from Intel’s restructuring priorities, but independence will most certainly introduce new challenges.
This certainly isn’t Intel’s first time spinning off a company. In December 2024, after facing declining revenue, Intel said it could spin off its foundry business.
Mobileye, an autonomous vehicle developer, spun off from Intel in October 2022. Intel had acquired Mobileye in 2017 for $15.3 billion, and at the time, it was the largest acquisition ever of an Israeli company. Mobileye was founded in 1999.
Intel began producing depth-sensing products under its Perceptual Computing division in 2013. Intel rebranded this group as Intel RealSense in 2014.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated at 9:26 AM EST on Jan. 9, 2025 with new quotes from Intel about the decision to spin off RealSense and the future product roadmap. It also corrected an error that said Intel had spun off its foundry business. Intel did not spin off the foundry business, but has considered doing so.
Steve Crowe your article is factual wrong. Intel did not say it’s spinning off its foundry business. It said it may consider it, you’re making it sound like it’s decided. They have stated numerous times they very well may not spin off the foundry business depending on what the new Ceo says. Very poor journalism and research.
Intel didn’t spin out its foundry division. Intel only made the foundry division to have its own P&L finance reporting. Please Google it. Thank you.