New camera captures images in 3D

With all the 3D displays, players and applications being shown at CES 2008, it stands to reason that there would be a device to let consumers capture their own 3D images. Well, the 3D VuCAM from StereoVision does just that, capturing images up to 300 feet away and storing a stereo pair of images that can be recombined in various formats for a 3D effect.

The 3D images can be used with special software to allow editing of the images, which can be either viewed on a 3D-ready monitor, or shown as a red/cyan anagylph for 3D viewing with glasses on a regular monitor, TV, or printed onto paper. StereoVision also sells glasses-free 3D displays, but I didn’t see them at CES so I don’t know how they look compared to the other 3D displays that use glasses.

Like many emerging technologies, the 3D VuCAM is geared toward industrial, law enforcement or other specialized applications, since the initial cost of the product ($1,667) is too high for casual consumers to consider worthwhile. It’s sort of a catch-22 of new technology: if 3D monitors find a consumer base, 3D capture devices will have a market, but without 3D content (besides just a handful of movies) there’s little reason to own a 3D monitor.