Crowd-Sourced 3D Map Project ( How would this work? Would it? Brainstorm with me ) – March 22, 2023 at 07:04PM

Looking to brainstorm an 3D scanning idea – approaches, feasibility, best applications, etc.

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https://i.redd.it/xymfz3cmddpa1.gif

I saw this – erm – spinning fan?? – on top of a UPS truck today when an idea struck me.

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I know I’m not the only person to think that “Google Earth” street view will eventually be 3D scans instead of these low-res, GoPro-like photos. It feels inevitable to me.

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As far as I know, Google has dedicated cars and drivers that drive around and take these photos.

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But what about a different, crowd-sourcing approach to 3D map-making. Imagine a wikipedia-like project where individuals volunteer to scan their neighborhoods and cities.

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What if there was a basic 3D scanning device that was relatively cheap and could be sent out to people around the country to scan local areas ( Maybe there’s even a phone-attachment that goes on top of a car and spins 360?? )

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And maybe, eventually, there’s a way to stitch together all these local maps into one interactive 3D Map of [ a town, a county, a state, a country, etc ]. It feels like a massive project, but it feels very very practical and possible to me.

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What do you think? Is someone already doing this?

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If so, where? And if not, how can it happen? What applications would be best to use? Would it have to be a new app all together?