Intel Unleashes Smart Drones At CES 2015

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Intel CEO Brian Krzanich wowed the CES 2015 audience during his keynote by demonstrating the capabilities of drones equipped with Intel’s RealSense technology.

These drones won’t be seen dive-bombing outdoor wedding ceremonies in a Youtube video anytime soon. Intel’s drones sense nearby people and objects, even when their human pilots put down the controls. Krzanich staged a ’first-ever’ game of ’drone ping-pong’ on stage, directing a drone between several people without any controls.

But the demonstration didn’t end there. Intel constructed a full drone obstacle course on the side of the keynote stage. A smart drone flew above, below, and between obstacles on its own, live. At the end of the course, the drone waited patiently until the last obstacle, a pair of doors, was opened. The drone, of its own volition, flew through amid the crowd’s applause.

Krzanich said he envisions multiple uses for drones equipped with RealSense, including possibilities in the medical field, such as medication delivery.

PUBLISHED JAN. 7, 2015