Apple's Wild New 3D Gesturing

The US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals various concepts behind newly advanced 3D gesturing that will apply to CAD applications for product and gaming developers as well as for consumers. According to Apple, next generation iPad and/or other iOS device displays will allow consumers to create avatars for 3D environments or assist homeowners in designing new landscapes and more by using simple 3D gesturing.

Apple Introduces 3D Gesturing Inputs

In this patent, Apple introduces us to 3D gesturing inputs. Apple's patent FIG.1 illustrates an iPad (device 100) which includes a touch-sensitive display that is responsive to touch inputs, 2D and 3D gesture inputs. An application program, such as a CAD program, can be executed on device 100 to enable a user to generate and manipulate 2D and 3D objects. The new 3D gesturing will control color and textures while allowing users to uniquely rotate objects to gain different perspectives of their designs. This is wild stuff that is bound to give Apple's competitors another huge headache.

Who will benefit from 3D Gesturing?

As a basic overview, Apple introduces us to various new gesture inputs that will be used to render complex 3D objects. For example, a product design house will be able to use this futuristic iPad (device 100) to quickly generate 3D models of consumer products. Video game developers could use it to quickly generate 3D models of figures in video games. Users could use it to quickly generate avatars for use in video conferencing applications. Users of a virtual 3D environment could quickly generate or modify avatars or objects in the virtual 3D environment. Homeowners could generate 3D models of their houses based on aerial photographs, and add the 3D models to a map application.

By providing a convenient and intuitive way to generate and modify 3D objects based on 2D objects in photographs, a 3D model of a community or an entire city could be generated through the cooperation of the residents of the community or city, each individual using the device to modify computer-generated 3D models of buildings or landscapes that the individual is familiar with.