Example of the Matterport system. The images are not the most polished, but they are taken from the real world. The Matterport camera creates 3D models of entire indoor spaces, which are subsequently uploaded to the cloud for online view. (via Matterport)
With all of the recent news about unique re-adaptations using the Kinect’s 3D mapping ability, it’s time to start shining some light on a start-up’s new and mysterious camera technology. Matterport, a Silicon Valley company founded in 2011, has just finished up another round of funding that they hope will allow them to scale-up production on their 3D mapping camera to meet their projected market demand.
Matterport’s new product relies on a system that will enable user’s immediate access to an immersive, cloud-based interactive viewing platform. Unlike the Kinect Fusion, which can only capture a part of a room, the Matterport camera is capable of capturing entire indoor spaces and uploading those images to the cloud for online view. Users will be able to navigate through the virtual spaces tagging, measuring, and pinning objects through an online browser or iPad app. By giving 3D mapping technology a fresh spin, the company’s founders intend to create a whole new community filled with traversable 3D landscapes waiting to be explored.
“Together we are transcending limitations of the physical world by allowing people to communicate in 3D,” says Matt Bell, co-founder and inventor of the Matterport camera.
No details on the camera’s hardware or software yet, leaving much to be desired about the pseudo-technology’s inner-workings. Peter Hebert, Matterport co-founder, assures us that their new device uses “advanced hardware and algorithms” to perform its state-of-the-art job.
For now, Matterport expects the initial market for their product to stem from housing and interior design businesses - though they’ve expressed their intent to allow users to creatively expand their service to a wider range of applications. Make sure to check out the video below to see a concept of Matterport’s online viewing platform in action, or head over to the Matterport web-page to try it out for yourself.
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