Intel RealSense

Intel RealSense is a family of depth cameras that over the years became one of the most common "eyes" of research and educational robots. The D400 series datasheet from October 2025 describes them as stereo cameras with an active infrared projector that compute depth in a dedicated D4 vision processor rather than on the robot's computer. Some products are now sold by the spun-off company RealSense, Inc. under licence from Intel, as the datasheet itself notes.

The family has several lines. The D415 has a rolling shutter, a range from 0.3 m to over 4 m and RGB up to 1920×1080. The D435 and D435i have global shutters, a diagonal field of view above 90° and a range from 0.2 m to over 3 m, and the "i" variant adds an inertial sensor with six degrees of freedom (DOF). The D455 stretches the range to 0.4–6 m and also has an IMU; the D456 is a D455 in an IP65 housing. The D405 is meant for close work, from 7 cm to 1 m, that is, for a camera on an arm's wrist. The newer D555 offers Power over Ethernet (PoE), images up to 1280×720 at 60 frames per second and IP65 protection; the maker notes that such an interface is typical in robotics, retail and restaurants. The D421 is a low-cost module with a 50 mm baseline.

RealSense appears repeatedly in robots in our catalogue. The mobile manipulator Franka Mobile FR3 Duo has four D455 cameras for all-round view and optionally two D405 on the wrists. In PAL Robotics ARI a D435i works at the front, in LimX Oli two D435i sit in the head and chest, and in Dobot Atom a D455 sits beside a pair of RGB cameras. It also appears in Muks Robotics SPACEO M1 and ergoCub. Most of these are research and educational platforms, where a ready SDK and a low entry barrier count.

For the cost of a robot, a depth camera is a small item next to the drives, but it decides what the robot can "see" at all. A camera with active infrared copes with smooth surfaces better than passive stereo, yet in strong sunlight the range drops, and the maker cautions that values depend on lighting. When choosing, power and interface matter too: USB-C is enough on a desk, while on a mobile robot PoE is often more convenient. Data from such cameras usually goes to an onboard computer, for example NVIDIA Jetson. Cameras from Orbbec and Luxonis work alongside, and in navigation scanners from SICK complement them. The privacy of camera images is discussed in “Data Security: Robots with Cameras and the GDPR”.

For Poland and Europe we found no named distributor in the materials, so we will not point to a specific shop. The cameras are sold globally, and Polish integrators usually buy them through electronics distributors or directly from the maker. For new projects, check the availability of a specific model, because the October 2025 datasheet shows the range is changing continuously. The whole perception stack of a robot is introduced in “How Does a Humanoid Robot Work”.