Better Cameras Simplify Machine Vision
Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a two-part series on 3D machine vision. Part 1 can be found here.
Manufacturers attain 3D results with various systems, including stereo cameras and "time-of-flight" techniques (which resolve distances based on the speed of light). The most common of these systems is vision triangulation, which uses multiple images from the cameras to determine the object's position in space and its 3D coordinates.
"Triangulation systems are typically built on top of the same cameras that you'd use in 2D applications," says John Petry, vision software marketing manager for Cognex Corp. "But it involves a second step where you take the results from the cameras and combine them to determine your 3D pose." ...
Smaller cameras are a key element in such systems, largely because cameras must often be mounted atop mobile robot heads. ...
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Two International Posters for PIRANHA 3DD
There had been some concern that Piranha 3DD, the sequel to the surprise hit Piranha 3D, wouldn’t be coming to theaters. Last month, director John Gulager said there was no need for concern, and that 3D boobs and angry fish were headed our way this year. Now, two international posters have gone online and they don’t look too bad. I would think that including “Double the D’s” in the tagline would mean focusing more on the breasts than the piranhas, but the posters are the other way around. I guess market research shows that fish are a better selling point than boobs. Market research is never wrong.
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TCL Became the Exclusive Partner of CCTV 3D Channel
TCL's cooperation with CCTV features three main aspects. In terms of products and technology, the two parties will work together closely to develop technologies such as 3D displays in efforts to improve the visual effects of the 3D Channel. In terms of content, TCL will provide 3D content to CCTV such as the 2012 CBA All-star Game, which will be shot by TCL with 3D technology and is expected to be broadcast on the CCTV 3D Channel afterwards. In terms of joint promotion,TCL's sales terminals will become the best promotion and broadcast channels for the CCTV 3D Channel, which will speed up the popularity of the 3D Channel and 3D TVs in the PRC Market.
See the original press release here
Man Working on 3D Printed House: Downloadable Dwelling
If you’re still not excited about the potential of 3D printing, Enrico Dini would like to have a word with you. Dini founded Monolite UK with one goal in mind – to create stone-like structures using a 3D printer. Architects, hold on to your blueprints.
While most 3D printers use plastic materials to build small items, Dini’s own D-Shape printer – the world’s largest 3D printer – uses ordinary sand and a binding material, fusing them together into a sandstone-like product to create large structures, anything from a statue to a house. The structure above is the world’s biggest 3D printed object, a scale model of a sculpture that Dini also plans on printing.
You can find out more about the D-Shape printer on its official website. Those interested in the documentary can go here for more info.
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China agrees to widen market access for US films (More 3D and Imax)
China has agreed to import 14 “enhanced” US films each year, in the 3D or IMAX formats, in addition to the current quota of 20 revenue-sharing foreign films, most of which are typically US releases. US companies will also be able to take a 25% share of box office, rather than the current 13-17% share.
The agreement comes one year after China missed the deadline to comply with a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling to allow US films greater access to the Chinese market. When the March 2011 deadline passed last year, China told the US it needed more time to comply.
Following several years of double-digit growth, the Chinese box office grew by around 30% in 2011 to hit $2.06bn (RMB13bn). The top-grossing film,Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, raked in around $173m. Six of the top ten films were 3D releases, including one Chinese film, Tsui Hark’s Flying Swords Of Dragon Gate.
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3D microscopy to help crack Alzheimer’s secrets
Scientists have edged closer to cracking Parkinson's and Alzheimer's secrets with the help of cutting edge 3D microscopy.
Underwritten by neural network algorithms (artificial intelligence), the cutting-edge technology is expected to be widely used in disease research in the near future.
It will permit the automated identification, separation and analysis of cells as complex as brain's neurons, developed jointly by Griffith'sSchool of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and its Eskitis Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Australia).
"Scientists and clinicians will be able to superimpose multiple data sets in three dimensions using automated techniques and then conduct detailed analysis of the data in a far improved way from the two dimensional microscopy that is currently available," said Adrian Meedeniya, according to a Griffith's statement.
"One of the main motivations for establishing this collaboration with the School of School ofInformation Communication Technology (ICT) was to create the technology to efficiently deal with these huge data sets," said Meedeniya, manager of Griffith's Imaging and Image Analysis Facility.
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Ambuli 3D review: Desi 3D matches Hollywood tech (Tamil 3D movie)
Ambuli, the first-ever stereoscopic 3D film in Tamil cinema, has garnered a lot of attention for its technical wizardry. A sci-fi thriller, the movie is directed by duo Hari Shankar and Harish Narayan and keeps the audiences hooked with thrills.
The story, taken from folklore, is set in 1978 to give that edgy effect! Amudhan (Ajay) and Vendhan (Srijith) study in a college. Ajay falls in love with Poongavanam (Sanam). He manages to stay in the college hostel even during holidays thanks to special permission from Vendhan’s father (Thambi Ramiah), who is the watchman.
Poongavanam stays in a village ...
It is a new experience for Tamil cinema! The 3D effects are on a par with Hollywood and give one the necessary effect – be it the scary fields, the high octave stunts, the cobweb covered campus rooms and caves, the gigantic beastly looks and the groovy numbers. The suspense factor is also kept intact till the end! The film has newcomers in the lead and they put in their best, leaving the rest to technology.
Each detail of the period sets, including costumes and special make up for Gokul, who plays Ambuli, deserve plaudit. There are a few minor flaws. Nevertheless, it is a movie which is not to be missed for that mammoth ‘desi 3D’ effort!
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Drafthouse Films goes 3D, forgotten gem Comin at Ya! later this month
Drafthouse Films (distribution arm to Alamo Drafthouse) continues to distinguish itself from other film distributors by bringing truly bad-ass cinema to audiences across the world, from the culturally stimulating to the Academy award nominated and, now, groundbreaking 3D spaghetti westerns from the 80s.
COMIN’ at Ya! 3D is a perfect fit for the Drafthouse, both as a film distribution company and a theater. As a distributor, the film's selection shows the company is willing to take a risk on a movie that isn’t exactly well-lauded amongst most viewers, but can still be considered entertaining with the right crowd (and, of course, a bucket of beers).
Read the full story, and watch the trailer, here:
3net Release Definitive Guide to 3D Television Production
The 50-page illustrated manual includes detailed information garnered from the combined 50 years of experience in the area of 3D from those who contributed to its creation. The guide outlines in detail all of the facets involved in creating top-quality 3D content for television, from initial workflow planning, to production, post production, stereographic correction and final delivery.
The 3D Production Guide is available for free download via the News section of 3net.com.
Love and Hate tweets collected on 3D ‘Love Will Conquer’ site
... Geotagged tweets are being mapped, in real-time onto a 3D Earth, where an perpetually growing tree maps out who's feeling what and when. If you tell someone you love them freely and the tree will swell with red leaves, whereas hate causes cold blue ones to sprout instead. If you want to watch the world venting its ardor, point your WebGL browser (Chrome and Firefox 10.1 both work) at our source link.