- The Structure Sensor is a new 3-D Scanning accessory for iPads created by Occipital, makers of the Red Laser bar code scanner and 360 Panorama app.Photo: Occipital
When most people play with a Kinect, the best they can hope for is a high score in Dance Central. When Occipital CEO Jeff Powers saw Microsoft’s innovative sensor package for the first time he decided to change the direction of his company and got to work developing the Structure Sensor, a new 3-D scanning tool that earned the company over $250,000 in a single day.
Product designers can use their iPads and Occipital’s anodized aluminum add-on to scan objects and create 3-D models suitable for a MakerBot. Realtors can take advantage of its depth sensors to capture the dimensions of a room and create a 360-degree panoramic photo that can be embedded in a listing. Gamers will be able to use the slick sensor to play a bevy of games built on top of the Structure’s open API. More than a cool gadget, the team at Occipital hopes to create a platform that will give smartphones and tablets a new set of super powers. “Everything about the Structure Sensor is designed to enable new software applications and optimize the user experience,” says Powers.
