3D Scanning with a Webcam

I knew that 3D scanning would be right around the corner. I thought the first 3D scanners would be something like a cupboard-sized MRI machine.

This should be a valuable lesson. There will always be a software solution before a hardware approach.

This video comes via Futurismic. Cambridge University people have come up with 3D scanning using nothing but a webcam and a serious amount of programming.

Just amazing. We could start getting 3D digitisation projects for museums going tomorrow. Okay, best to wait for the thing to be ready first. But then you have all kinds of options opening up.

There are many things the scans could be used for. When fabricating gets going, a museum could have a set of blueprints for models. Museum objects could start appearing in games (and some games have better economies than countries).

I want this technology in my phone. Its have a camera so it makes sense. And all consumer technology is moving towards increasing levels of mobility. I want to 3D-scan objects on the fly. We will need a word for this, I think.

Also, imagine what this would do to copyright discussions. I await the sign in the museum that says “No Flash Photography -- No 3D Scanning”.