Apple Inc. is reported to be building a 3D camera that will enable users to capture normal photos and make three-dimensional renderings.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has revealed the interest of Apple in capturing 3D images with three new patent applications, namely the Image Capture Using Three-Dimensional Reconstruction; Systems, Methods, and Computer-Readable Media for Placing an Asset on a Three-Dimensional Model; and Systems, Methods, and Computer-Readable Media for Integrating a Three-Dimensional Asset with a Three-Dimensional Model.
According to Apple news website Patently Apple, the 3D cameras will incorporate RADAR, laser, sensors for color accuracy, and light-detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors to detect the depth of the subject. It also indicates the cameras will also have the capability to recognize facial gestures and gestures.
“Facial gestures may include, but are not limited to, smiling, grimacing, frowning, winking, and so on and so forth,” explains Patently Apple. “In one embodiment, this may be accomplished by detecting the orientation of various facial muscles using surface geometry data, such as the mouth, eyes, nose, forehead, cheeks, and so on, and correlating the detected orientations with various gestures.”
It is said that the new 3D camera will appear first on the next-generation Apple smartphone, the iPhone 5, and the next iPad, but these are still mere speculations.
The two 3D modeling patents were filed by Thomas Goossens in September 2010 and the 3D image capturing patent was filed a year later.
via: Apple Insider
