Swiss startup Dacuda is going to make that possible. Dacuda’s 3D SLAM Scan Engine Technology has already brought 3D scanning technology to the masses with its unique algorithm that turns any smartphone into a 3D scanner, and now the company has taken that technology a step further with a new SDK that will allow users to scan themselves right into video games.
“Today, generating 3D content is limited to expensive and cumbersome technology,” Dacuda CEO Peter Weigand told PSFK. “Our technology allows you to scan your face in real-time to generate a high quality 3D avatar of yourself, all from your mobile device…The future of gaming is about creating worlds that totally absorb the player, and realistic avatars are essential to making that vision come true. With Dacuda’s pioneering new solution for game studios, we open up an exciting new world of possibilities for game studios and players alike.”
SLAM Scan has already been used for several other applications, such as 3D Around, which allows you to capture high-quality 3D images of your food just by moving your phone around your plate. (Instagramming your waffles is so last year, guys.) Taking a 3D selfie is just as easy with SLAM Scan, as well, as you can see in the demo below:
I have to wonder if the manufacturers of standard 3D scanners are a little uneasy about companies like Dacuda, who give users the ability to generate high-quality, printable, professional-looking 3D scans with nothing more than a smartphone. There’s very little that can’t be done with a smartphone these days, as is continually being proven by applications like Google Cardboard. I doubt that 3D Slam Scan Engine Technology will ever replace expensive state-of-the-art scanning equipment for the purposes of museum artifact preservation, for example, but in terms of content generation and everyday 3D printing like selfies and whatnot, technology like this is extremely appealing to the average person.