TechCrunch: Amazon's first phone uses 'Okao Vision' for 3D effects
Amazon's June 18th event is still mostly shrouded in mystery, but general consensus is that the e-commerce giant is releasing a phone of its own with an interactive 3D interface. Now, TechCrunch claims to have identified the technology behind that feature, and it's supposedly Omron's Okao Vision face-sensing system. The Amazon team reportedly customized the Japanese company's creation so that it can be used to show 3D effects on an ordinary LCD screen without special glasses. Instead of relying on accessories, the software depends on four front cameras embedded on the device's corners to track the user's face, as well as on the phone's accelerometer and gyroscope. For instance, if you tilt your face to one side, the interface shows you a hidden panel you wouldn't see if you look at the screen from another angle.
Besides being able to track faces, Okao Vision (or "Face Vision" in Japanese) can also recognize facial features and determine the user's gender and ethnicity, though we've yet to find out whether Amazon has also integrated those features. We've reached out to both Omron and Amazon for confirmation, but in case we never hear back, you can always just start counting down the days until the 18th.
