Smartphones With 3D Camera Tech Could Become More Mainstream Thanks to Three Stanford Researchers

• Smartphones are fitted with 2D cameras that although are super powerful and have high megapixel resolution remain to be able to photograph images in a flat way
• Researchers at Stanford University in California say they have found a way for normal cameras, such as those fitted to smartphones, to see light in three dimensions
• The breakthrough will have an impact on other things besides photography including fitness apps as it would allow cameras to measure the distance to objects

By simply using a standard imaging camera, like those fitted to most smartphones, researchers from Stanford University have developed tech that allows the tech to see light in 3D.

Currently, high-end smartphones use Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) to bounce a laser off an object or a surface and measure the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver.

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Okan Atalar, a doctoral candidate in electrical engineering at Stanford says in a new paper:

“Existing lidar systems are big and bulky, but someday, if you want lidar capabilities in millions of autonomous drones or in lightweight robotic vehicles, you’re going to want them to be very small, very energy efficient, and offering high performance."

Atalar and his two colleagues' approach is to piggyback on the already highly advanced 2D camera sensors and convert them to 3D, TechTimes reports.

The 3D tech would not only be contained to photography but can be used in the fitness tech space too, Digital Trends reports. Athletes would be able to monitor the analytics of their movement and perhaps even reduce the chance of an injury.

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Humans have been inventing devices to make our lives easier for a long time. From something simple like a tool for hunting animals at the start of civilisation to a shopping app where we can choose our groceries in a few minutes, Briefly News reports.

We take a look at some gadgets some might think are arbitrary but also can be helpful such as a wine condom, portable dishwasher, beard growing machine and a coffee alarm clock.

Nowadays people are addicted to using technological gadgets like cameras, phones, ebooks, laptops, smartboards, tablets, and so on. Smart gadgets are the latest such development, CEO Worldwide reports. These gadgets help us automate our chores so that we have more energy and time for ourselves.

Source: Briefly News