Simulation and Virtual Reality are going to important teaching tools in the next decade. In order to create the environments needed you have to create 3d models. Until recently, that meant using some complex 3d software and building it from scratch, or else use an expensive 3d scanner and scan a real model. Both methods are not practical for a typical teacher.
Therefore I have been keeping an eye out for new technologies that allow for 3d content creation simply, easily and cheaply.
H/T Gizmodo
Basically it uses your cell phone camera to take video and then processes it in realtime to create a 3d model of what it saw. This works on parallax of the image. This technique is not really new but this approach seems better than most. What will really make this practical is to have a camera that also has a lidar built in. This is a laser scanner which can give very accurate depth information. This hybrid camera/scanner would also be essential for Augmented Reality systems so I think it will happen pretty soon.
Naturally this technology will also be available to students to use in creating their own simulations and virtual reality.
Education Stormfront 
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