Intel to Bring Augmented Reality to Smartphones, Tablets

Intel is working to include augmented reality technology in its processors, signaling future innovations in devices and computers that use its chips.

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The U.S. multinational semiconductor company is reportedly partnering with Total Immersion to make gesture recognition part of its chipsets within the next few years.

"What we are doing together with Intel is working on their chipset," said Total Immersion marketing chief Antoine Brachet to Reuters. "You can have some AR features, like gesture recognition, that can be transferred from software to hardware."

Intel's decision to incorporate Immersion's technology into its semiconductor chips comes after the company was in charge of a nearly $6 million funding round for the company.

Augmented reality technology has been limited in tech products thus far. The Nintendo 3DS gaming system ships with AR cards that display 3D images on the screen using the device's camera.

In addition, Microsoft has been a leader in gesture control with its Kinect hardware that connects with the Xbox 360 to allow users to control games by making physical motions with their bodies.

Immersion's technology will allow for similar types of functionality in tablets, smartphones and PCs. Software companies like Microsoft, Google and other developers will have more tools when building mobile apps and programs, and consumers may end up having a very different user experience out of their products.

Intel's decision to work closely with Immersion is one the largest indicators yet that gesture controls and AR will likely be a legitimate part of several manufacturers' future hardware.

Now that Intel is preparing to dedicate itself to integrating Immersion's tech into its hardware, the ball is now in the court of the developers to show off their new chips' capabilities.