Stereoscopic imaging, better known as 3D, is not new. In the 16^th century, “binocular” images were viewed cross-eyed. In 1838, Sir Charles Wheatstone invented the stereoscope to give depth to images. It presented two offset 2D images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer, which the brain then combined to give the perception of 3D depth. In 1849, Sir David Brewster invented the first lens-based, hand-held stereoscope. The View-Master stereoscope that you might remember from your childhood was patented in 1939. The 1950s saw a boom in 3D movies.

Now, you can not only view 3D models, but create them yourself. All you need is a smart phone and Autodesk’s free 123D Catch application. Here’s how.

Read more…