Didn’t it seem like we’d all be measuring playing fields, creating 3D objects, and making virtual 3D playgrounds out of our living rooms by now? Phones have 3D sensors, and now Apple has added Lidar, so why can’t we have these things? It’s here now and looks like a trend that will be happening in 2021. TikTok symbolically kicked it off with a New Year’s Eve Lens, but they … [Read more...] about Lidar for everyone
LIDAR
Bentley Systems and Trimble team up for construction modeling
Pooling resources and sharing opportunities to advance construction BIM. Bentley Systems and Trimble have been forging links between their products for a few years. The companies have areas where they can effectively interoperate, and both companies are amenable to strategic partnerships with other companies. This year at Trimble’s user conference and Bentley’s Year in … [Read more...] about Bentley Systems and Trimble team up for construction modeling
Autodesk acquires Allpoint for 3D LIDAR expertise
The founder and key researchers will join Autodesk’s Reality Capture team. The technology they bring has its roots in computer vision and robotics research. Autodesk today acquired technology and key employees from Allpoint Systems LLC, a Pittsburgh developer of software for collecting and processing 3D LIDAR (broad-field laser-based) point cloud data. Terms were not … [Read more...] about Autodesk acquires Allpoint for 3D LIDAR expertise
Redefining production in the age of Digital Reality
Software is transforming every stage of the manufacturing process. Small companies with niche technologies are being gobbled up. By Kathleen Maher May Day is over and the workers of the world are still pretty much wearing their chains. Ironically, the children of workers over in China are driving Ferraris and sporting Prada handbags. And, if wages aren’t going up and hours … [Read more...] about Redefining production in the age of Digital Reality
3D laser map shows earthquake zone before and after
High-res LIDAR scans reveal previously undiscovered relationships between smaller faults. Geologists have a new tool to study how earthquakes change the landscape down to a few inches, and it’s giving them insight into how earthquake faults behave. In the Feb. 10 issue of the journal Science, a team of scientists from the U.S., Mexico and China reports the most comprehensive … [Read more...] about 3D laser map shows earthquake zone before and after
MIT team invents cheap way to add 3D cameras to cellphones
A one-pixel pulse is tricked into decoding 3D data. Qualcomm is taking a close look. [Editor’s Note: A video explaining the technology in more detail appears at the end of the article.] Researchers at MIT are working on a small, cheap, and efficient way to allow cellphones and other handheld devices to become 3D cameras. Like other sophisticated depth-sensing devices, … [Read more...] about MIT team invents cheap way to add 3D cameras to cellphones
Modding the Xbox Kinect to gather 3D streaming data
In less than a year after its release, a flood of researchers and tinkerers are finding ways to re-purpose the Kinect that have nothing to do with games. Two UCSD researchers are adapting the inexpensive and popular motion sensor to gather archaeological data. The November 2010 launch of the Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360 immediately unleashed a tidal wave of tinkerers who … [Read more...] about Modding the Xbox Kinect to gather 3D streaming data