AMR Report Says 3D Camera and Content Markets Will Reach $7.6 Billion by 2020

As modern as 3D technology now seems, you can actually look back to 1844 for the birth of the process. At that early date, David Brewster created a device called the Stereoscope which was capable of delivering 3D photographic images. That development was followed by the creation of the Kinematascope, a stereo animation camera, and that ultimately led, in 1922, to the first ‘3D movie’ debuted to a rapt public, “The Power of Love.”

By the 1950s, a resurgence of the nascent technology was underway and 3D movies like “Bwana Devil,” “House of Wax,” and “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” were packing theaters.

After a lull in the popularity of the tech, by the 2000s the big studios were releasing 3D content created with the latest in HD video cameras, and by 2010 there was a foray into 3D television, and channels now display some educational, animated, sporting events, documentaries, and musical programming in 3D.

Imaging technology like cameras, scanners, and smartphones for the 3D content and creation markets is expected to reach a whopping $7.6 billion by the year 2020 according to a new report by Allied Market Research titled, “Global 3D Camera Market – Size, Industry Analysis, Trends, Opportunities, Growth and Forecast, 2013 – 2020.”

Globally, AMR says what they call the 3D camera market will be driven by the proliferation of 3D camera applications in smartphones, and that fact alone should mean that about 80% of smartphones could be enabled with 3D imaging technology as soon as 2018.

It appears that most of the surge can be attributed to adoption of the technology among members of the entertainment and media industries.

With 3D imaging finding a niche in security surveillance, home automation, and mobile robotics, the market for such technologies is poised for explosive growth, while 3D scanning technologies have been simplified to the extent that they’re now reaching into consumer markets.

As 3D smartphones promote the application of 3D technology to everything from photography to 3D printing, the prices for such devices and technologies is dropping as well.

“It is expected that a rise in home automation and virtual reality applications would provide opportunities to the market. In addition, the automated operations in industries are increasing, and that would provide opportunities to the 3D camera market,” says the author of the report, Prasad Rane.

AMR says smartphone manufacturers have focused on 3D technologies as significant prospects to the extent that such smartphones will account for total revenues of $2.02 billion by 2020.

According to the report, “stereo visioning technology” is often integrated in applications like movie recording and gaming, the wide adoption of such technology has already resulted in a leap of 60% in terms of global market size by value.

Other findings of the study include:

• The global market for 3D cameras is progressive in nature and should go on to witness a rise in adoption across smart phones, tablets, and other such devices, during the forecast period of 2014-2020.
• The adoption of 3D cameras in tablets is estimated to grow rapidly at a CAGR of 60.4% during that time.
• Asia-Pacific would prove to be one of the most lucrative markets, in terms of growth. It should reach $3.4 billion by the year 2020, registering a CAGR of 44.1% during the 2014-2020 period.
• The Asia-Pacific regional market should surpass the North American regional market in terms of market size by value, within two years.

What consumer-level applications for 3D printing and scanning do you know about? You can give us a heads up in the 3D Camera and Content Markets forum thread on 3DPB.com.