ETH zurich transforms android smartphones into 3D scanners

all images © institute for visual computing / ETH zurich



researchers from the computer vision and geometry lab of ETH zurich have developed an application for android operating systems that turns an ordinary smartphone into a mobile 3D scanner. rather than taking a regular photograph, a user simply moves the phone around the object of interest and after a few motions, a three dimensional model appears on the screen. as the user keeps moving, additional images are recorded automatically, extending the wireframe of the virtual object. as all calculations are programmed into the software, the user gets immediate feedback and can select additional viewpoints to cover missing parts of the rendering. the system utilizes the inertial sensors of the phone, extracting the camera views in real-time based on kinetic motion capture. the resulting 360 degree model can be used for visualization or augmented reality applications, or rapid prototyping with CNC machines and 3D printers.

turning mobile phones into 3D scanners

video courtesy güven kahveci

the resulting virtual model can be used for 3D printing

a user can capture a 3D model of a museum piece and interactively study it at home later

the technology also allows the 3D capture of faces