3D Capture with iPad brought to you by Structure Sensor
▻http://phys.org/news/2013-09-3d-capture-ipad-brought-sensor.html
(Phys.org) —A sensor for capturing the world in three dimensions is coming to the iPad. A Kickstarter project that launched on Tuesday seeks funds for its Structure Sensor, which is a portable sensor that clamps on to the back of the iPad for 3D on the go. The device, says its creators at Occipital, is the first 3D sensor designed to work with mobile devices. The device is to ship February. With Structure Sensor, the user can capture models of rooms or play augmented reality games. The creators gave it a mobile range that begins at 40 centimeters and stretches to over 3.5 meters. The device can capture anything, they said, from teddy bear to an entire room. Developers are encouraged to take advantage of Structure Sensor for building mobile applications that interact with the 3D geometry of the real world.
The iPad (4th generation) is officially supported and the plan is to officially support future iPad and iPad mini models with corresponding brackets once they are released. Developers would be building with Xcode, the Integrated Development Environment with Apple tools for developing software. The Structure Sensor is designed to work with the Apple Lightning connector. Once connected, the Structure’s own infrared sensor and camera for depth perception go to work with the iPad.
Developers who do not work with Apple technologies are told that they can also try using Structure Sensor via a USB Hacker Cable, as the team built “hackability” in its DNA. As for the SDK kit, four screw holes on the bottom allow the non-Apple developers to mount to almost anything. The team is prepared to provide open CAD models for creating custom brackets. With the Hacker Cable one can connect to almost any platform that supports USB, according to the team. They are also prepared to provide open source drivers for multiple platforms including Windows, Android, OS X, and Linux.
The aluminum Structure Sensor is available in: Ice Blue and Silver; the choice of aluminum allows for a thermal core that keeps the precision optics inside at an optimal temperature. The chemically hardened glass surface at the top, says the team, optimizes the depth image quality while protecting the infrared emitter and camera inside.
▻http://phys.org/news/2013-09-3d-capture-ipad-brought-sensor.html
