Intel RealSense Depth Module D421 offers a low-cost depth-sensing solution at just $80

Intel RealSense Depth Module D421 is an entry-level stereo depth module with a 0.2 to 3-meter recommended range, a global shutter to capture motion without artifacts, and a 75° × 50° field of view (FoV).

Intel has made RealSense Depth cameras for years, including the popular RealSense D435i with 6 DoF tracking introduced in 2018 that currently sells for about $320. But not all projects need the most advanced features and/or are viable when needing to spend several hundred dollars on the camera itself. The RealSense Depth Module D421 is a much cheaper way to integrate depth-sensing into projects at a much lower price point. It’s fairly similar to the earlier D435 but lacks an RGB camera.

Intel RealSense Depth Module D421

Intel RealSense Depth Module D421 specifications:

  • Based on the Intel D4 Vision Processor
  • Image sensor technology – Global Shutter
  • Recommended Range – 0.2 m to over 3 m (varies with lighting conditions)
  • Depth technology – Stereoscopic
  • Minimum Depth Distance (Min-Z) at Max Resolution – ~20 cm
  • Depth Accuracy – <4% at 2 m(1)
  • Depth Field of View (FOV) – 75°±3° × 50°±3°
  • Depth output resolution – Up to 1280 × 720
  • Depth frame rate – Up to 60 fps
  • Filter – IR Band Pass Filter
  • Host interface – USB-C port
  • Dimensions – 93 x 32 x 10.18 mm
  • Temperature Range – 0°C to 35°C
  • Use environment – Indoor/Outdoor

Low-cost depth camera module windows 11

All you need is a host with a USB port that can work with the open-source Intel RealSense SDK 2.0 and related depth tools. It works with the following operating systems:

  • Ubuntu 20.04 to 24.04 LTS releases
  • Windows 10 (Build 15063 or later, 17763+ recommended) and Windows 11
  • Mac OS High Sierra 10.13.2
  • Android 7 to 13

Some features of the SDK include support for Open3D open-source library designed for processing 3D data, ROS and ROS2 frameworks for robotics, and TensorFlow and OpenVino for AI and machine learning workloads. Intel provides some C/C++ code samples for their RealSense camera and modules, but the SDK also includes wrappers for many common platforms and languages such as Python, C#/.NET, and Matlab.

As noted in Intel’s video about the module (which can’t be embedded), the new RealSense Depth Module D421 works very much in the same way as the RealSense D435 camera, but lacks a camera, meaning you can do pretty much achieve the same results, except for use case requiring color data such as a robot following a red ball.

When I was first tipped about the low-cost depth-sensing camera module, it sold for $75 for a sample, but that page was quickly taken down. Intel has now set up a new page where you can pre-order the D421 module for $80 per piece, but the trick is that you’d need to get 10 cameras since the module is only offered in a pack with 10 cameras. Shipments are expected to start by mid-November. Addtional information may be found on the product page.

Thanks to Vered and Roi for the tip.

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11 Comments
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TonyT
TonyT
10 days ago

Looks like you might be able to get it in single quantity from Digikey for a slightly higher price (since not in stock yet, details might change): 82635DSD421 Intel RealSense | Sensors, Transducers | DigiKey

bluepuma77
bluepuma77
9 days ago

I thought “Intel has decided to wind down the RealSense business”.

persondb
persondb
9 days ago

Didn’t Intel stop manufacturing those?

persondb
persondb
9 days ago

Oh, that is really cool!

The only question that I have is if they continue to invest in realsense(seems like a good idea overall), is if they will move on from the D4 Vision Processor as that 28nm ASIC from 2018 seems like it could receive an upgrade, maybe to a 14nm process?

Roi Ziss
Roi Ziss
6 days ago

Definitely YES!😉

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Upgrade pi-top [3]
4 days ago

@Roi Ziss do you have an inside line on this? 😉

Upgrade pi-top [3]
Upgrade pi-top [3]
3 days ago

Awesome!

Chris
Chris
4 days ago

$800.00 and not 80…

Upgrade pi-top [3]
Upgrade pi-top [3]
3 days ago

?!

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