[Symmetry]

Long, long ago the the Kinect came out and it was able to provide 3D imaging for robotics companies at an incredibly good pricepoint compared to everything that came before it. Then the company that made it created a version with just the 3D sensor and that was even better.

But then Apple bought them for what would later become face unlock. Apple wasn't interested in being a component supplier so they discontinued selling sensors to robotics companies and it was a bad time for robotics companies that had incorporated these into their products.

Into this Intel came with RealSense, with better performance in an even smaller form factor. This was really nice. Then Intel released a garbled statement about discontinuing RealSense in 2024 and everybody freaked out. A lot of companies, like the one I was working at, decided this was the time develop and in-house 3D sensor system.

Apparently Intel is spinning them out as an independent company, though, so maybe we don't actually have to worry about Intel losing interest and shutting them down.

https://www.therobotreport.com/intel-spins-out-realsense-as-...

[nirav72]

I had both the original Kinect (xbox 360) and then Xbox One Kinect. I found that I was able to find a lot more libraries and projects around the original Kinect. Sadly, I misplaced the original 360 Kinect when I moved to a new house and have never been able to find it. I still have the xbox one Kinect. But it seems that there isn't lot of of development done around it. Even though it had more sensors and had better imaging.

[eightysixfour]

I had the same frustration, I converted my Xbox One model into a webcam during Covid when high-end cameras were at a premium, but other than a head tracker for video games, never got anything else interesting going with it.

We built number of projects with the Xbox 360 one back in the day, fun toy.

[knowitnone]

I've bought some from Goodwill and yardsales for a couple of dollars

[dcanelhas]

You can still buy primesense devices afaik

http://xtionprolive.com/asus-xtion-pro-live

[Symmetry]

Apple wasn't super interested in enforcing their intellectual property claims against Chinese factories producing a product they weren't competing with any more, but relying on those isn't a viable longer term plan for a commercial product.