Intel Corp. has re-positioned its “tera-scale” processor R&D efforts, moving towards a more mainstream, x86-based multicore design instead of a proprietary technology.

Intel has demonstrated an experimental, 48-core processor–or “single-chip cloud computer” (because it resembles the organization of datacenters used to create a “cloud” of computing) based on a 45-nm process using high-k and metal-gate technology.

In the future, Intel’s “single-chip cloud computer” processor could be powerful enough to enable PCs to use “vision” to interact with people.