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New tech to capture 3D images from a kilometre away

Researchers have developed a new laser powered camera system that creates high-resolution 3D images of objects from up to a kilometre away.  A standard camera takes flat, 2D pictures. To get 3D information, such as the distance to a far-away object, scientists can bounce a laser beam off the object and measure how long it takes the light to travel back to a detector.  The technique, called time-of-flight (ToF) navigation systems for autonomous vehicles, and other applications, but many current systems have a relatively short range and struggle to image objects that do not reflect laser light. Researchers have tackled these limitations and reported their findings in the journal Optics Express.  The research team, led by Gerald Buller, professor at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, describes a ToF imaging system that can gather high-resolution, 3D information about objects that are typically very difficult to image, from up to a kilomet

Transparent 3D computer unveiled

       A transparent computer that allows users to reach inside and touch digital content has been unveiled at the Technology, Education and Design (TED) conference in Los Angeles. TED fellow Jinha Lee has been working on the SpaceTop 3D desktop in collaboration with Microsoft. Allowing people to interact with machines in the same way they do with solid objects could make computing much more intuitive, he told the BBC. He can see the system coming into general use within a decade. The system consists of a transparent LED display with built-in cameras, which track the user's gestures and eye movements. The design was inspired by what he sees as a human need to interact with things. "Spatial memory, where the body intuitively remembers where things are, is a very human skill," he said. Translating this to the digital world will enable people to use computers more easily as well as complete more complex ta