The Structure Sensor wants you to capture everything in three dimensions instead of two. Attach the Structure to your iPad with a bracket and four screws and you’re ready to scan.
Currently the sensor has applications for an object scanner, room capture, playing a game of fetch with a virtual pet, and demonstrating physics with virtual balls. The team is committed to open source and includes drivers for Windows, Linux and Android along with OS X. Design drawings are published so that the maker community can build their own brackets to fit the Structure to any device.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/occipital/structure-sensor-capture-the-world-in-3d
The hardware itself consists of a camera, the infrared projector, two infrared LEDs, and an internal battery. All of this fits into anodized aluminum casing and manages its own power away from the power management issues of the device.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/occipital/structure-sensor-capture-the-world-in-3d
The 3d scanner functionality looks incredible and already justifies the cost, but the additional applications and future ideas solidify the value. Anyone who has ever measured a room for carpet, couch, or curtains and then second-guessed themselves at the store will benefit from the room scan feature. The demonstrations on the Kickstarter page and the TechCrunch videos show off the other functions. It’s definitely exciting to see a virtual cat chase a virtual ball around real furniture, or watch balls bounce against the outside of a bench as if the bench truly exists in the picture.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/occipital/structure-sensor-capture-the-world-in-3d
The Kickstarter goal has already been met sevenfold with more than thirty days of funding left. There’s definitely inspiration to think this low cost sensor will soon be available for everyone to use.