Coloring books are an engaging way to spark children's imaginations, and Disney Research is working to further inspire kids by animating the process. Their latest idea to cultivate creative minds is through an app that lets kids see a coloring book character in 3D, as they're shading it. The interactive concept is made possible with augmented reality–a live view that is supplemented by computer-generated sensory. It tracks and captures real-time images from a device's camera and then maps them onto any 3D deformable surface.

So, how this will work with something like a coloring book? Disney Research provided a couple of examples in a video introducing their research paper called Live Texturing of Augmented Reality Characters from Colored Drawings. One instance shows a completely-colored octopus, and as the flat drawing is rotated, the tablet simultaneously displays a three-dimensional view of its body–something that can't be achieved in only two dimensions.

The app is still in a research phase, and Disney has yet to provide a date for when it might be available. It's something to look forward to, though, and it'll be a fantastic way to bridge the gap between hand-crafted fun and exciting technology.

Disney Research: Website

via [Toyland]