3D Has Come a Long Way: From Stereo Postcards to Robust Face Recognition Technology
People have been experimenting with ways to capture and use 3D images for a long time. An English scientist named Sir Charles Wheatstone is credited with inventing the first practical 3D viewing device in 1838, and stereoscopic postcards were all the rage by the 1860s. My personal favorite, the ViewMaster, was first introduced in 1939 and brings back fond childhood memories of looking at images of various Disney characters. Today, there is a 3D camera sitting atop the Spirit Rover on the surface of Mars, sending images back to scientists at NASA.
We have a come a long way. But we are about to take another leap forward.
Cameras in smartphones and tablets over the past several years have followed the trajectory of many 21stcentury technologies: the price has come down and the functionality has increased. My own handset can shoot ultra-high definition/4K video right now. This was unimaginable just a few years ago.
This trend is driving a very exciting “next-generation” solution allowing handset and tablet manufacturers to start incorporating 3D cameras into their devices. Apple is reportedly going to include a 3D camera in their upcoming iPhone 8 – due to be released in the Fall.
There are, of course, a wide range of possible applications for mobile 3D imaging. Real estate agents will be able to create and share 3D tours of homes. Mapping of terrain will provide hikers with more realistic views of rivers and mountains while in the backcountry. Families can relive the excitement of their vacation adventures (and bore the hell out of their friends) in an immersive way.
Given the fact that device makers as well as carriers are always looking for ways to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, including 3D cameras is certainly a logical next step for companies that want to lead in the mobile space.
But for me, the really exciting aspect of the newest generation of 3D cameras is the fact that we can now deliver virtually spoof-proof face authentication on mobile devices. In an era where mobile phone passwords can be broken in milliseconds, swipe patterns easily mimicked, thumbprint readers bypassed with a gummy bear, and typical face authentication solutions hacked using a photo, the adoption of 3D cameras will take mobile security to a new level.
That said, I am also looking forward to the broader potential business impact. Improved secure authentication has huge implications for supporting and driving customer loyalty and brand enhancement to name just two areas.
Hats off to the Victorian era scientist who set us down this wonderful path from stereo postcards to robust face recognition technology. Thanks, Sir Charles.
(image: OyundariZorigtbaatar "Stereoscope.jpg" CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ )