Structure Sensor 3D Scanner(ST01)

This sensor turns your Tablet/Phone into a 3D scanner. Enter the Structure Sensor, a gadget that turns your Tablet/Phone into a 3D mapping and imaging device. You can use it to measure the depth of a room or create a 3D model of an object or person. The device puts affordable 3D creation into the hands of both consumers and developers. The Structure Sensor will let you create 3D models of your favorite objects or people. What is the Structure Sensor, exactly? This is the world’s first 3D sensor for a mobile device. As simple as the hardware looks, the technology is complicated. Here’s how Occipital describes it: “The Structure Sensor uses structured light to capture depth data. Structured light uses a laser projector to cast a precise pattern of thousands of invisible infrared dots onto objects and spaces. It then uses a frequency-matched infrared camera to record how the pattern changes, thereby understanding the geometry of those objects and spaces. As a result, the Structure Sensor can generate a VGA depth stream at 30 frames per second, with each pixel representing an exact distance to a real-world point.” It’s a bit technical, but for consumers, just imagine how Microsoft’s Kinect works – how it tracks your movement – and you get the concept. How it’s different is that it’s mobile (with the aide of a Tablet) and it has its own battery. Occipital is reluctant to call it a 3D scanner, but it’s a 3D sensor that can be used for 3D scanning purposes. The first major app to utilize the Structure Sensor is ItSeez3D, which combines the data from the sensor and the color information from the iPad’s camera to create realistic 3D models. Occipital also lists interior space mapping (gathering measurements of a room, for example), augmented reality and virtual reality games, and body scanning (for fitness or as a virtual dressing room) as some of the applications that can utilize the sensor technology. For developers, this affordable and accessible device offers a new way to create apps and services (imagine a video game company using it to render characters and objects quicker and easier for upcoming title), but for consumers, it’s still too novel for mass usage. If you’re willing to shell out a few hundred bucks for early-adopter tech, the Structure Sensor will let you create 3D models of your favorite objects or people, and let you experience the beginnings of consumer 3D scanning that’s on the way. Conclusion There’s no doubt that 3D scanning (and printing) is becoming more affordable and accessible, and devices like the Structure Sensor are going to help usher that in for consumers and developers. Its fun and it’s awesome to see everyday objects get turned into 3D models simply by using an iPad accessory. The Structure Sensor is a promising tool for developers and hardcore 3D enthusiasts.