Already Got an iPad and a 3D Printer? This May Be This Year's Must-Have Gadget



Introduced at CES 2014 and expected to come to market for around $500 sometime mid-2014, the iSense is a handheld 3D scanning device that works in concert with the iPad and Occiptal's proprietary software.

The iSense device featured in the video above is the result of one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns ever.

What does it offer?

With the device "attached to your mobile device, you can walk around the world and instantly capture it in a digital form. This means you can capture 3D maps of indoor spaces and have every measurement in your pocket. You can instantly capture 3D models of objects and people for import into CAD and for 3D printing. You can play mind blowing augmented reality games where the real world is your game world. "

How does it work?

Apparently the iSense has infrared LEDs that emit a uniform light that allows you to capture the world in infrared and stream that data to your iOS device using the Lightning connector. By capturing the IR light reflected off of objects, the iSense records depth information from multiple distances simultaneously. Using the iPads gyro and accelerometer, the software can map the objects as the user moves the iPad around them.

According to Occipital's founder said Jeff Powers (quoted in a Sept. 2013 piece in Mashable):  "Our camera is actually axially aligned with the built-in camera... That's important because we're fusing the data from those two sensors. We're also fusing the gyro and accelerometer that's on board. In the iPad, you kind of have the rest of the story, but it was missing this active 3D sensing."

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