5 ms·

Thorskan – Better Reality 3D Scan

32 points by ivoflipse 13y ago

angersock 13y ago
Not going to lie, saw the videos and my first thought was "Get out of here, stalker!"
- ivoflipse 13y ago
  I first wanted to link to their homepage, but its just a sign up page for updates. Their Vimeo has some more nice looking videos like this one: http://vimeo.com/60564990 http://vimeo.com/60564990 Too bad they aren't exactly spilling beans on how their tech works, what it takes to run or any details for that matter. I guess we'll have to wait, unless someone else has more info.
ezioamf 13y ago
I can't wait to have it on Google street view.
- JoblessWonder 13y ago
  Apple acquired C3 Technologies which does 3D Scanning from aircraft.[1] It is pretty awesome technology. Google has their own version I believe. I haven't heard of Google Street View vehicles using laser scanners for depth readings though. [1]http://9to5mac.com/2011/10/29/apple-acquired-mind-blowing-3d-mapping-company-c3-technologies-looking-to-take-ios-maps-to-the-next-level/ http://9to5mac.com/2011/10/29/apple-acquired-mind-blowing-3d...
  - Qworg 13y ago
    AFAIK, post Thrun, all Google Street View vehicles have a laser scanner(s). http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GoogleStreetViewCar_Subaru_Impreza_at_Google_Campus.JPG http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GoogleStreetViewCar_S...
    - JoblessWonder 13y ago
      Makes sense. Especially since they worked on that Radiohead music video that was "shot" with laser scanners.
JoblessWonder 13y ago
I can't imagine this technology is directly adaptable to video games. These videos seem to be pre-rendered which isn't going to help in video games. You won't be able to kick any of that trash around or break a window. It might be helpful for architecture purposes depending on how it is implemented. I guess I'm just not super-impressed without seeing how it is done.
- bd 13y ago
  There is already a game in development using this technology - "Get Even" by Polish studio The Farm 51: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L48SdXmd0_k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L48SdXmd0_k http://www.thefarm51.com/index.php?module=news&id=50&menu=1&p=1 http://www.thefarm51.com/index.php?module=news&id=50&menu=1&...
  - er35826 13y ago
    This would appear to be the same environment as the demos from the article. Note the 'Node' graffiti on the wall, and the general shape of the room. I'd really like to see a before/after comparison, to see what the original environment looked like, as well as an actual description of what they've done.
  - JoblessWonder 13y ago
    I guess I just don't see what the advantage is from creating the environment manually. Sure, if you know of a warehouse that already has great graffiti and the exact layout your game needs then go for it. But what if you need a stairwell or a hallway? Are you going to build it? Or have to find one and then modify it so it matches the photo-realistic nature of the process? I'm sure there are level designers out (and I know that there are 3D artists out there) that could easily recreate this. Usually in-game they are given limits that prevent them from doing something like this though.
- robszumski 13y ago
  I'm guessing it's very hard to capture a scene in daylight and then modify that model with different lighting schemes. How do you know what's the color white vs a very bright light source? Maybe the user can indicate light sources somehow?
thenomad 13y ago
Seems like 2014 might be the year of photogrammetry, between this and the Microsoft thing posted a few days ago. There's a lot of VERY impressive photogrammetry software out there - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photogrammetry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photogrammetry - but it hasn't really made it into the mainstream yet. Incidentally, one of the big uses for this tech will be the heritage / museums industry. They're very big on photogrammetry for capture and display.
bane 13y ago
TBH, this kind of technology was what I was hoping Photosynth was going to turn into.
- jjcm 13y ago
  I work on photosynth, so allow me to respond (albeit with a bias). Photosynth was designed to work with the most common use case - pictures taken with cell phones at different, undetermined angles, with 10-20 seconds in between each shot. Contrast that with the camera system used for THORSKAN - http://i.imgur.com/VE1qXwS.png http://i.imgur.com/VE1qXwS.png That's 72 professional DSLRs set up to take pictures of the object simultaneously. I'm not discounting THORSKAN's accomplishments, these are some extremely beautiful demos. But they can't be created by your everyday user. Eventually things like photosynth will get on this level, but the camera technology in phones will have to change. Luckily, this is already happening. Intel's CES announcements focused on stereo camera systems in laptops and portables, and MS has an investment in it with the kinect already. Having even two cameras shooting at the same time dramatically improves results.
  - bane 13y ago
    Hi thanks for the response. I can appreciate how having consistent equipment at known locations and angles taking images of a scene can help with scene reconstruction. But I'm not sure I follow on the need for very close temporal alignment. Is it because of the consistent lighting conditions? With all things being equal, would it matter if each imager used with THORSKAN took a picture 20 or 30 minutes apart?
    - JoblessWonder 13y ago
      When you say "very close temporal alignment" do you meant the stereo cameras he was talking about? If so, (and I'm sure since he works on Photosynth he is infinitely more qualified to comment but this is the internet so I'm going to anyways) then the advantage of a stereo camera is that you can more accurately judge depth as long as you know where the two lenses are in relation to each other. Think of it like like those old-timey 3D images. [1] It appears as though Intel's version is going to be a single camera with a depth sensor like the Kinect.[2] [1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereoscopy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereoscopy [2]http://www.display-central.com/free-news/display-daily/3d-cameras-coming-to-ultrabook-and-laptops-says-intel/ http://www.display-central.com/free-news/display-daily/3d-ca...
DonGateley 13y ago
What I found most fascinating was the degree to which detail increases when the entropy of human constructs increases without intervention. Eventually this aspect will reverse and it will all become homogeneous. What actually is this thing that first increases and then decreases when a highly ordered system progresses into disorder?
- scotty79 13y ago
  Closenes to optimum of your perception that happens to be between "boring" and "so much chaos you can't figure what you are looking at".
  - VladRussian2 13y ago
    like between Universe in the beginning - hot meson-gluon soup and at the end - vast over-expanded vacuum with few super-super-super-large black holes
scotty79 13y ago
Quite prominent grafiti in the first demo says: "F*ck Cracow's police" but in polish and without asterisk. We are not very PC in Poland.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

32 points by ivoflipse 13y ago

angersock 13y ago

Not going to lie, saw the videos and my first thought was "Get out of here, stalker!"

ivoflipse 13y ago
I first wanted to link to their homepage, but its just a sign up page for updates. Their Vimeo has some more nice looking videos like this one: http://vimeo.com/60564990 http://vimeo.com/60564990 Too bad they aren't exactly spilling beans on how their tech works, what it takes to run or any details for that matter. I guess we'll have to wait, unless someone else has more info.

ezioamf 13y ago

I can't wait to have it on Google street view.

JoblessWonder 13y ago
Apple acquired C3 Technologies which does 3D Scanning from aircraft.[1] It is pretty awesome technology. Google has their own version I believe. I haven't heard of Google Street View vehicles using laser scanners for depth readings though. [1]http://9to5mac.com/2011/10/29/apple-acquired-mind-blowing-3d-mapping-company-c3-technologies-looking-to-take-ios-maps-to-the-next-level/ http://9to5mac.com/2011/10/29/apple-acquired-mind-blowing-3d...
- Qworg 13y ago
  AFAIK, post Thrun, all Google Street View vehicles have a laser scanner(s). http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GoogleStreetViewCar_Subaru_Impreza_at_Google_Campus.JPG http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GoogleStreetViewCar_S...
  - JoblessWonder 13y ago
    Makes sense. Especially since they worked on that Radiohead music video that was "shot" with laser scanners.

JoblessWonder 13y ago

I can't imagine this technology is directly adaptable to video games. These videos seem to be pre-rendered which isn't going to help in video games. You won't be able to kick any of that trash around or break a window. It might be helpful for architecture purposes depending on how it is implemented. I guess I'm just not super-impressed without seeing how it is done.

bd 13y ago
There is already a game in development using this technology - "Get Even" by Polish studio The Farm 51: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L48SdXmd0_k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L48SdXmd0_k http://www.thefarm51.com/index.php?module=news&id=50&menu=1&p=1 http://www.thefarm51.com/index.php?module=news&id=50&menu=1&...
- er35826 13y ago
  This would appear to be the same environment as the demos from the article. Note the 'Node' graffiti on the wall, and the general shape of the room. I'd really like to see a before/after comparison, to see what the original environment looked like, as well as an actual description of what they've done.
- JoblessWonder 13y ago
  I guess I just don't see what the advantage is from creating the environment manually. Sure, if you know of a warehouse that already has great graffiti and the exact layout your game needs then go for it. But what if you need a stairwell or a hallway? Are you going to build it? Or have to find one and then modify it so it matches the photo-realistic nature of the process? I'm sure there are level designers out (and I know that there are 3D artists out there) that could easily recreate this. Usually in-game they are given limits that prevent them from doing something like this though.
robszumski 13y ago
I'm guessing it's very hard to capture a scene in daylight and then modify that model with different lighting schemes. How do you know what's the color white vs a very bright light source? Maybe the user can indicate light sources somehow?

thenomad 13y ago

Seems like 2014 might be the year of photogrammetry, between this and the Microsoft thing posted a few days ago. There's a lot of VERY impressive photogrammetry software out there - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photogrammetry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photogrammetry - but it hasn't really made it into the mainstream yet. Incidentally, one of the big uses for this tech will be the heritage / museums industry. They're very big on photogrammetry for capture and display.

bane 13y ago

TBH, this kind of technology was what I was hoping Photosynth was going to turn into.

jjcm 13y ago
I work on photosynth, so allow me to respond (albeit with a bias). Photosynth was designed to work with the most common use case - pictures taken with cell phones at different, undetermined angles, with 10-20 seconds in between each shot. Contrast that with the camera system used for THORSKAN - http://i.imgur.com/VE1qXwS.png http://i.imgur.com/VE1qXwS.png That's 72 professional DSLRs set up to take pictures of the object simultaneously. I'm not discounting THORSKAN's accomplishments, these are some extremely beautiful demos. But they can't be created by your everyday user. Eventually things like photosynth will get on this level, but the camera technology in phones will have to change. Luckily, this is already happening. Intel's CES announcements focused on stereo camera systems in laptops and portables, and MS has an investment in it with the kinect already. Having even two cameras shooting at the same time dramatically improves results.
- bane 13y ago
  Hi thanks for the response. I can appreciate how having consistent equipment at known locations and angles taking images of a scene can help with scene reconstruction. But I'm not sure I follow on the need for very close temporal alignment. Is it because of the consistent lighting conditions? With all things being equal, would it matter if each imager used with THORSKAN took a picture 20 or 30 minutes apart?
  - JoblessWonder 13y ago
    When you say "very close temporal alignment" do you meant the stereo cameras he was talking about? If so, (and I'm sure since he works on Photosynth he is infinitely more qualified to comment but this is the internet so I'm going to anyways) then the advantage of a stereo camera is that you can more accurately judge depth as long as you know where the two lenses are in relation to each other. Think of it like like those old-timey 3D images. [1] It appears as though Intel's version is going to be a single camera with a depth sensor like the Kinect.[2] [1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereoscopy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereoscopy [2]http://www.display-central.com/free-news/display-daily/3d-cameras-coming-to-ultrabook-and-laptops-says-intel/ http://www.display-central.com/free-news/display-daily/3d-ca...

DonGateley 13y ago

What I found most fascinating was the degree to which detail increases when the entropy of human constructs increases without intervention. Eventually this aspect will reverse and it will all become homogeneous. What actually is this thing that first increases and then decreases when a highly ordered system progresses into disorder?

scotty79 13y ago
Closenes to optimum of your perception that happens to be between "boring" and "so much chaos you can't figure what you are looking at".
- VladRussian2 13y ago
  like between Universe in the beginning - hot meson-gluon soup and at the end - vast over-expanded vacuum with few super-super-super-large black holes

scotty79 13y ago

Quite prominent grafiti in the first demo says: "F*ck Cracow's police" but in polish and without asterisk. We are not very PC in Poland.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]