During the opening keynote of the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in San Francisco, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich unveiled Project Alloy, an all-in-one virtual reality solution leveraging Intel RealSense technology.
The computing power is located in the Alloy Head-Mounted Device (HMD), which allows the user to experience VR untethered. That means you can “cut the VR cord,” allowing a free range of motion with 6 degrees-of-freedom across a large space. This, combined with collision detection and avoidance, enables the user to utilize physical movement to explore a virtual space.
Through merged reality, see your hands, see your friends … see the wall you are about to run into. Using Intel RealSense technology, not only you can see these elements from the real world, but you can use your hands to interact with elements of your virtual world, merging realities.
Alloy’s merged reality is made possible by Intel RealSense cameras attached to the headset and is not dependent on setting up any external sensors or cameras around the room.
Intel will open the Alloy hardware and provide open APIs for the ecosystem, allowing developers and partners to create their own branded products from the Alloy design, in 2017.