Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/135926
dan. (Since the interview, a new sensor and different hardware have enabled a much larger volume and sub-millimeter accuracies.) The models can then be exported as .obj, .stl., .xyz, or .ply files (or any other file format needed), which can be 3D printed or imported digitally into a video game, for instance; objects from a set can be captured quickly and used for pre-visualization. The Lynx object modeling feature, according to the company, is 100 times faster than modeling by hand. The model forms on the screen during the capture, so the user knows immediately if any detail was missed, and is ready within seconds after pressing Stop. The camera can acquire either per-vertex color (blended rastering) or UV textures. "People have told us they want less polygons and greater color information. So we are gearing up for what people need," says Rondan. Scene modeling enables users to create environments in seconds for previs, 3D walkthroughs, and design tasks. The scene-modeling feature captures detailed 3D meshes of large (and small) environments up to 1,000 square feet without slowing down or affecting accuracy, "painting them on the screen." The models are optimized to correct for camera motion and to ensure consistent layouts. The imagery is output as a structured polygonal mesh, with an adjustable polygon count depending on the user's need. The radial accuracy of the object modeling had been 9.5cm, while the accuracy of scene modeling was .3 to 3cm locally using the Lynx A. More recently, those accuracies have improved by a factor of six, Rondan points out. A third major function of the Lynx A is for markerless motion capture that can be done anywhere, as simply as using a video camera – and the end result is having an instant motion volume right in front of the camera. Most motions require one or two takes, and the animation is ready to preview right away. The camera works within a 0.7- to 3-meter range, producing animation for 15 joints at a resolution of 2cm, depending on the range of capture. The motion files export in .bvh format. "You can buy or rent equipment, the big stuff, for $150,000 that will get you 95 percent there; we can get you 90 percent there for far less," says Slaughter. "Our [technology] runs fast and doesn't require a lot of expertise to operate. It gives a pretty good start for those who are not James Cameron doing Avatar. If you need perfect results, then there are expensive options out there." Kicking Things Up The team at Lynx Laboratories had taken in all the comments from Kickstarter and other sources to build a product that will deliver what people need. While many have turned to Kickstarter recently to get funding, Slaughter says the Lynx product did not really fit the basic Kickstarter mold in that it is specialized for a specific targeted audience, not a generalized offering for many. "It's also more expensive by a factor of six from what you typically see on Kickstarter," he adds. "We knew there was not going to be an explosion [of funding] but thought it was a great opportunity." As Slaughter explains, the group could have sought out investors for commercial deals, but didn't have to do that. "Our biggest goal was to get something out the door sooner rather than later and build a community around the product and hear the great ideas that people have in using it. Kickstarter was a great way to do that. We weren't using Kickstarter to sell our product, but to engage people in the process, for them to share their ideas. And, it was a great experience for our team." With the funding goal reached and exceeded, the group has been working to integrate additional features into the product, many of which were requested in the Kickstarter process. Lynx Laboratories expects to ship the product in June. "Before Kickstarter, we were looking at how to get higher-resolution color onto the models. We have already implemented such a process and also increased the resolution of the 3D data by a factor of six," notes Rondan. "As long as more than one person is asking for it, we need to build it. I think the backers are already seeing that process happening." The biggest technical hurdle, though, was in developing the application, as 3D processing "is just so slow," says Slaughter. "Using what is basically a 3D modeling program, it just takes so long to render [the imagery]. Imagine building a model and rendering it at 30 frames per second. It is a very ambitious technical problem to solve." He spent a year in the research lab "getting a handle on that." Another hurdle was a less technical one: getting a bunch of engineers to build a company. For that, Slaughter credits the assistance of great mentors. Along the road to launching a company and a product, Lynx Laboratories received encouragement through a number of ■ ABOUT the size of a tablet, the camera provides 3D content for a range of uses. awards, including Idea2Product Global, Top 10 Dell Innovators, and funding from the National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research. For the past several months, the group has been tweaking the camera and showing it at industry events, including SXSW, while preparing the camera for its June rollout. For the time being, Slaughter has pressed the pause button on his PhD so he can focus on the company, while some employees are preparing to graduate in May. While so many grads across the country will be looking for work this month, this group is well ahead of their peers. In fact, one of them just may be sitting behind a desk interviewing recent graduates for this growing business. ■ CGW Karen Moltenbrey is the chief editor of CGW. CG W M ay / June 2013 ■ 29