I see this sensor as something that has an immense number of valuable uses to everyone, as well as creating an immense number of potential abuses.
Whenever I see new technology I think of the Mom and Pop shops, run by people who aren't a part of the technology movement and how it would effect them. And when I think of that shop and this device, I think of people being able to scan the store and not just to get a video image of the layout and camera locations, but a properly rendered floor plan of the store where one could pinpoint unsurveilled merchandise.
I also see a lot of regulation coming from this. Imagine a world where anyone can go to a store, pick up an object, scan it at the store and then go home and print it on a 3-d printer. It might require theft to be redefined and create a slippery slope for people who like to take pictures of things with their iPads for creative inspiration.
I'm not trying to argue against this technology by any means, but with every new technology that comes out, a lot of questions are raised for me.
I guess the issue for me is more focused towards humanity rather than the technology. It's probably a nonsensical concern as there's no way to know if we'd really be better or worse off with/without any technology that has been developed and disseminated. But like Uncle Ben/Voltaire said, ~"With great power comes great responsibility."
With the advancements in technology and their increasing acceleration, we are being spoon fed an increasing amount of power. My concern is whether or not we are responsible enough for it. This sensor looks amazing, and I can't wait to see the great uses for it but like every new technology that completely amazes me, it reminds me: The future freaks me out.
> I also see a lot of regulation coming from this. Imagine a world where anyone can go to a store, pick up an object, scan it at the store and then go home and print it on a 3-d printer.
Brick and mortar stores will cease to exist long before this technology becomes good enough to do what you've described. This technology is currently pretty awful in terms of accuracy. Btw, what would you actually be printing? A plunger? Easier to 3d model. A clock? You'll never measure it accurately enough. Some kind of cheap coat hook? Not sure the store is surviving off of cheap coat hook margins in the first place.
Btw, these kinect-like cameras work by measuring the displacement of infrared dots, so there exists huge discrepencies in first the infrared dot projector, then the camera that sees them, and also the surface onto which the dots are reflecting. If you're lucky enough to get decent input data, then you have to post-process the noise out, so that flat surfaces are indeed flat, and curved surfaces have a smooth curve. But at what point is noise actually just subtle features? Imagine trying to scan a diamond-plate floor panel. The diamond design pattern would be perceived as noise, and the optimizations would attempt to normalize the data to be a flat surface.
There's a long way to go before we have to be considering the dangerous power of this kind of tech. The current danger is in 3d printed firearms, which are getting better and better every day, and which have been 3d modelled by designers in 3d programs.
> The current danger is in 3d printed firearms, which are getting better and better every day, and which have been 3d modelled by designers in 3d programs.
It was probably discussed here many times, but where exactly is the danger? You can (and could have for years) make better guns with CNC milling machines and/or random metal scrap lying around your backyard, and getting ammo (which seems to be the real problem) is not getting any easier with 3D printers.
>Imagine trying to scan a diamond-plate floor panel. The diamond design pattern would be perceived as noise, and the optimizations would attempt to normalize the data to be a flat surface.
I bet you could get around this somewhat if you matched the 3D data up with a normal 2D image, processing it to figure out textures and subtle features.
You can buy several high quality, factory-made guns at any gun store for the cost of just one 3D printer, so why do you call out 3D printed guns as particularly dangerous? Unless you mean their likelihood of just exploding instead of firing properly?
I see this sensor as something that has an immense number of valuable uses to everyone, as well as creating an immense number of potential abuses.
Whenever I see new technology I think of the Mom and Pop shops, run by people who aren't a part of the technology movement and how it would effect them. And when I think of that shop and this device, I think of people being able to scan the store and not just to get a video image of the layout and camera locations, but a properly rendered floor plan of the store where one could pinpoint unsurveilled merchandise.
I also see a lot of regulation coming from this. Imagine a world where anyone can go to a store, pick up an object, scan it at the store and then go home and print it on a 3-d printer. It might require theft to be redefined and create a slippery slope for people who like to take pictures of things with their iPads for creative inspiration.
I'm not trying to argue against this technology by any means, but with every new technology that comes out, a lot of questions are raised for me.
I guess the issue for me is more focused towards humanity rather than the technology. It's probably a nonsensical concern as there's no way to know if we'd really be better or worse off with/without any technology that has been developed and disseminated. But like Uncle Ben/Voltaire said, ~"With great power comes great responsibility."
With the advancements in technology and their increasing acceleration, we are being spoon fed an increasing amount of power. My concern is whether or not we are responsible enough for it. This sensor looks amazing, and I can't wait to see the great uses for it but like every new technology that completely amazes me, it reminds me: The future freaks me out.