3D Overdose

The very first computer that could be built at home was the Altair 8800, which was introduced in 1970. It was touted to be a desktop computer revolution by most of the historians. Now, Hod Lipson, Cornell assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, shares the same sort of feelings for his little machine dubbed Fab@Home.

He further hopes to see ‘fabber’ in each and every home so that people could imitate objects from plans given by a computer. For example, you wish to make an MP3 player, you need to get the instructions from the computer and the ‘fabber’ will make one for you. Isn’t that great?

Now, 3-D printers based on this technique are being used by industrial engineers for “rapid prototyping.” The designs are developed in the computer programs and then the working plastic models of 3D printers are made.

A 3-D printer has a small nozzle that scans back and forth across a surface, depositing tiny droplets of quick-hardening plastic. After each scan, the nozzle moves up a notch and scans again until it has built up the complete object, layer by layer.

Well, the pricing for such systems start at around $100,000 but you can make Fab@Home for a mere $2,300. The prototype, designed by Evan Malone, a Ph.D. candidate in Lipson’s Computational Synthesis Laboratory, is slower than the saleable models and down on resolutions too, but people are finding sensible uses for it.

The site offers notes on the history of 3-D printing and discussion groups. Fab@Home is “open source” and is intended to inspire the new fabbing technology.

Via: Physorg

Frepar Networks will be releasing a device that can project a 3D character hologram of your choice onto a platform.

After the character is projected you will be able to communicate with him or her.

By using a CODEC Cell cartridge which will hold the information on the character you will also be able to view it in 3D without using any special glasses.

The best feature is that you will also be able to communicate with the character both verbally and physically. For example if the projected character is a girl then it can accept or reject your proposal and its skirt will blow if you give a big sigh after getting a nod from her...!

Via: ubergizmo

A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Computer Science in Saarbrucken, Germany have developed a new kind of 3D animation technique that allows the user to paste a high-resolution 3D scan of his own on to another person’s movements.

The process is too simple as it requires a simple body scan and users can use the animated version in the game within a few minutes. Interestingly, the scans can be taken in less than a minute and are precise to millimeters.

Other than the flexible applications of this technique, they are most concerned in using it to generate 3D video.

Via: Newscientisttech

You don’t need to technically sound enough to create any 3D image with the new Mirage 3D Hologram Generator. The device is in actual a precision optical instrument that is claimed to be built to display realistic 3D holograms in the air that appear to be solid. The device is being used in the schools and universities to teach the students the principles of 3D imagery. Well, there are no moving parts, no batteries, cords, dials, knobs or switches. Priced at $36.

Via: newlaunches

The most innovative mouse ever, the 3-dimension gaming mouse, has been launched at the CES 2007. Looks a bit different than the conventional mouse it adds a new life to your gaming experience. The totally new concept, the lateral buttons, can help you rotate virtual objects with an extra ease. The people at 3D Game O’ offers gamer’s world to move forward, backward and sideways and jump, crouch, pitch, yaw, and roll without using the good old keyboard. It also helps you to navigate in 3D in Google earth, too cool. The 3D Game O’ on Sandio website has a price tag for $79.99, under the VisionTek XG6 brand.

Via: Ubergizmo

Interference is not always annoying. Especially if the person interfering in your business is none other than James Cameron, the great director behind effects-laden hits like The Terminator and Titanic.

Mr. Cameron visited the sets of music video Wind It Up last October and shot a separate version of Gwen Stefani’s video with 3-D equipment. And the result must be seen to believe.

3D era is on a comeback trail and the nice thing is that the flimsy glasses that were associated with 3-D in the beginning, are absent. Now the special glasses will resemble normal sunglasses.

Mr. Cameron who is currently working on a $200 million 3-D feature titled Avatar, has entered into a joint venture with Jimmy Iovine, the chairman of the Interscope Geffen A&M record label, to produce music films, concerts and other content in 3-D to show in specially equipped theaters. Mr. Cameron said:

What it does is put you, the audience, right there with the performer onstage, in their creative reality.The whole idea of a concert may change.

Mr. Iovine is very enthusiastic and hopeful towards this new step, which he believes is much needed to generate revenue for the ailing music business. He said:

The record industry has to have lots of different revenue streams, and this just looks like one that’s creatively cool. And you can’t download it. You can’t get it anyplace else.

Mr. Cameron is indeed a man with the Midas Touch and we shall wait patiently for some glitter that is soon to be added to the music industry.

Source.

A team of scientists in Jerusalem has discovered a new technique for creating self-assembling 3-dimensional models from a single sheet of paper.

They have found a monomer, which when heated over 33 degrees Celsius, would bend and alter any flat 2D photo into a 3D one.

More surprisingly, a scientist (not associated with the study) has even anticipated the new technology to be employed possibly to make craft printers that could spew out 3D print-outs on the addition of heat. Let’s see if his predictions really meet realism or not.

Via: Engadget

Apparently, the year 2007 will be the year of flash. The awe-inspiring flash 3D demo by John Grden demonstrates the potential for the future of 3D and Flash. This will indubitably pave the way for numerous innovations in this field.

7 Xwings, 7 Ties, Death Star, Endor and a fully rendered star field in PV3D and it ran at a staggering 26-30fps on my laptop Yeah, we had a good contrast demo. Then I attached a TargetCamera to the ships as a follow cam and made the ships clickable so you could jump from ship to ship and follow along as they flew back and forth and I finally realized - Flash doesn’t look like flash anymore.

Check out the flash demo.

Within a few years from now, we will be able to print whatsoever we want to, thanks to the 3D printers that might become available for everyone at reasonable prices very shortly. It means that I will be able to make the items such as a cellphone cover or a fork by myself. Wow! The 3D printers have been in use for last one decade for industrial applications but haven’t moved to the common public. Presently, such machines cost around $15,000 but the prices will go down in the coming years. Three-dimensional printers, also called rapid prototypers, amass objects from an assortment of fragments of material and crate models in a stack of very thin layers that can be hardened in small spots applying heat, light or chemicals. The 3D printer makers hope that the prices could go down as low as $2,000 within the next five years.

Via: Nytimes

Nowadays, 3D illusion has become one of the most prominent art forms that have attracted many a viewers. Here are some of the 3D graphics or pictures that may glint your mind’s eye.