A handheld 3D scanner with biometric applications is in development for release next year, according to a Tech Crunch article by Natasha Lomas. The product is being developed by Oxford University startup Fuel3D.
Right now they’re trying to raise money in preparation for an early-2015 IPO. They got the ball rolling last year with a Kickstarter campaign that raised $300,000, and have since proceeded to secure millions in venture capital. The company has indicated that its product’s multiple cameras will allow them to develop it into a “dedicated 270° face scanner”, and Lomas speculates that such a device could be used in retail settings to provide virtual projections of eyewear and other such products.
In any case, such biometric applications do go some way towards explaining investors’ excitement about the product. Facial scanning is quickly creeping into everyday life, with applications from automatic phone unlocking to tracking audiences’ responses to comedy shows, and the field seems set for growth as the overall biometrics industry continues to boom.
—
November 7, 2014 – by Alex Perala
Follow Us