3D Data Collaboration Experiences a Revolution through Stitch3D's Power
In the year 2020, two significant events marked the technological landscape - the debut of the iPhone 12, the first phone equipped with a lidar sensor, and a fire onboard the USS Bonhomme Richard. Amidst these events, a groundbreaking idea was taking shape at the MIT Sloan School of Management. This idea would eventually become Stitch3D, a cloud-based platform designed to simplify the sharing and analysis of 3D data.
Clark Yuan, the founder of Stitch3D, was among the people the Navy asked to help in the aftermath of the fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard. Recognizing the need for an easy and efficient way to share and analyze 3D scans, Yuan formulated the idea for a cloud-based 3D sharing system.
Stitch3D's platform offers a web browser-based 3D viewer that can render 3D data efficiently and apply analysis to that. It allows users to manage, analyze, and share 3D files of any size and format. The platform provides measurements, angles, and connects 3D data to satellite imagery from sources like Google Earth.
Popular Cloud Platforms for 3D Data
Popular cloud platforms compatible with 3D files for sharing, analyzing, and viewing include Needle Cloud, echo3D, and CHC Navigation’s CoCloud.
Needle Cloud specializes in diverse 3D formats and web compatibility. It supports a variety of 3D file formats including glTF/GLB, USD/USDZ, FBX, VRM, and OBJ. This platform allows storing, managing, sharing, and optimizing 3D assets and apps on the web with support for advanced compression and conversions.
echo3D is a cloud platform focused on digital asset management for 3D models and scans. It offers tools for storing, sharing, optimizing, and securely managing large 3D libraries. Features include 3D content management, delivery via CDN, compression, conversion, 3D viewing and editing, AR experience building, collaboration, advanced search with AI tagging, access control, and real-time updates across organizations.
CoCloud by CHC Navigation is a cloud-native 3D data platform geared towards processing, managing, and collaboratively analyzing spatial 3D data such as photogrammetry, aerial imagery, and LiDAR scans. It supports online visualization, data sharing, timeline management, point cloud editing, and offers API access and private deployment options suitable for integrating into existing workflows.
Each of these platforms supports 3D file viewing, sharing, and analysis with varying emphasis. Needle Cloud specializes in diverse 3D formats and web compatibility, echo3D focuses on enterprise-scale asset management with collaboration and optimization, while CoCloud addresses geospatial 3D data processing and teamwork.
Stitch3D: Simplifying 3D Data Sharing
Stitch3D aims to help accelerate the proliferation of 3D data by making sharing as easy as sharing a URL link. The platform's suite of tools lets workers collaborate on 3D files and visualize their data on any browser or mobile device.
The costs of 3D sensors and devices like specialized cameras and drones have decreased, making 3D data generation simpler. This trend has led to increased adoption of Stitch3D's platform by land and aerial surveyors, architects, and construction firms.
Measurements such as distance, height, slope angle, and volume can be made using Stitch3D's tools. The platform visualizes feature classes like buildings, vegetation, and water. It has gained interest from law enforcement agencies, insurers, and construction firms in addition to its work with the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Department of Defense.
In the long term, Stitch3D believes that 3D data will replace photos and videos for various applications, such as documenting traffic accidents and crime scenes. Users can layer 3D scans onto real-world maps using Stitch3D's tools.
A mobile application from Stitch3D, which includes light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors, is set to be released later this year. This application will further democratize the generation and sharing of 3D data, making it accessible to a wider audience.
References: 1. Needle Cloud 2. echo3D 3. CoCloud by CHC Navigation 4. Dropbox for 3D files 5. pCloud for 3D files
- Clark Yuan, the founder of Stitch3D, is utilizing technology in his groundbreaking cloud-based platform, designed to simplify the sharing and analysis of 3D data, as he aids in the aftermath of the fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard.
- Stitch3D's platform, popular among land and aerial surveyors, architects, and construction firms, offers computing efficiencies through a web browser-based 3D viewer, enabling users to manage, analyze, and share 3D files of any size and format, and apply data-and-cloud-computing tools for measurements and visualization.
- Besides Stitch3D, there are other popular cloud platforms for 3D data sharing, such as Needle Cloud, echo3D, and CoCloud, each offering specific features like diverse 3D formats compatibility, enterprise-scale asset management, and geospatial 3D data processing, respectively.
