It turns smartphones into 3D scanners

Researchers from ETH Zurich have created an application that allows ordinary smartphones to record and display real objects in 3D, for 3D printing. or many other reasons. This application will work well in both indoor and outdoor lighting conditions, including in low light conditions such as in museums.

The user simply points the camera towards the desired object, then moves the camera around the object to record it in various angles. The application uses inertial sensors to determine when the camera moves and how much distance, then automatically take pictures in those corners.

All calculations will be saved and processed by the phone's GPU. Users can view images of objects in different angles, and can return to capture in other corners if they miss. Not only does the photo shoot, but the actual size of the object is saved and it will be very meaningful if the user wants to print the 3D object.

This application is currently being licensed, and can 'run on many current smartphones'. You can see the video below for more.