Platform will enable designers, retailers and consumers to create and interact with realistic, photo-based three-dimensional images of interior spaces.
Mountain View, CA. April 9, 2014— Matterport, a leading computer vision technology company, today released a comprehensive product platform for capturing, creating and experiencing three dimensional photographic models for general commercial availability.
The Matterport platform—which consists of the Matterport Pro 3D Camera, Matterport’s cloud services and the Matterport Web Player—brings realism, depth and ease-of-use to digital capture and viewing of interiors and spaces in a fast and very cost-efficient way while delivering superior visual quality.
Matterport’s camera, software and cloud services work together to capture and automatically weave together thousands of digital 3D images into an accurate, immersive photo-realistic model. The model takes into account spatial relationships between objects and other features and provides accurate measurement data to the user.
“People have been seeking ways to better understand and convey the world around them,” said Bill Brown, Matterport CEO. “But until now, systems that can generate the visually realistic 3D models that make this possible have been extremely expensive, time consuming and impractical. By combining Matterport’s advanced computer vision software and innovative camera hardware, our platform makes it both possible and practical to create visually compelling 3D models of spaces and incorporate them into a variety of contexts through simple web applications. Matterport’s system now brings the magic of 3D to almost anyone.”
The Matterport system is geared toward professionals looking to document, promote, or visualize spaces using realistic 3D imaging in industries such as construction management, insurance claims adjustment, building inspection, forensics animation, commercial and residential real estate, hospitality, entertainment venues, architecture, and retail space planning. Some of the earliest customers have been in the real estate and hospitality industries, allowing properties to be showcased in a realistic manner. The technology can also be employed for retail and public venue space planning or to compare floor layouts and traffic patterns across portfolios of office buildings or franchise locations. Similarly, contractors and architects can edit Matterport’s 3D models and experiment with design ideas and share them with clients before knocking down walls. See Matterport in action at http://vimeo.com/88954819.
Matterport will serve these markets by selling cameras and cloud services directly to contractors, architects and real estate companies, as well as working with professionals who serve these markets. Matterport 3D models can be captured and prepared in minutes or hours, compared to the weeks or months it takes to make similar models with conventional tools for realistic 3D modeling. Once a 3D model is created, it can be quickly shared with even non-technical users through simple web-based applications without requiring files to download or specialized CAD applications.
Several customers from different industries have already been using the system as part of Matterport’s Early Adopter Program. Over 1,000 Matterport 3D models have been created and shared, saving an estimated $10 million and 100 years’ worth of work already.
The Matterport 3D Camera sells for $4,500. Cloud service fees will be offered by subscription-based pricing. Both are available via the company website.
“With Matterport’s technology, the cloud is shifting from serving as a vault for content to playing a fundamental role in creating images using advanced computer vision technology,” said Peter Hebert, Managing Partner at Lux Capital. “It marks a significant turning point for how we communicate visually, and we believe users will love the experience.”
Because it is cloud-based, Matterport’s system can be easily adapted in the future to work with hardware from third parties. Before long, mobile phones with embedded 3D sensors will become commonplace, and the Matterport system will create the same visually realistic 3D models using those mobile devices. This will complement Matterport’s professional-grade cameras, and initial devices are anticipated to come to market within the next year. For example, Matterport recently showcased a demonstration of one of its 3D models created using a prototype device from Google ATAP’s project Tango.
Matterport was founded in 2011 by three recognized leaders in computer vision systems and imaging and was part of Y Combinator’s winter 2012 class. Prior to cofounding Matterport, Chief Strategy Officer Matt Bell founded Reactrix and headed up the team that created the key computer vision innovations behind the company’s interactive floor displays. He also worked in the research department at Google. CTO and co-founder Dave Gausebeck was an early employee at PayPal, designing tools to reduce transactional fraud. He also co-created the first commercial implementation of a CAPTCHA. COO Mike Beebe, meanwhile, managed a group at SRI International that developed some of the most realistic models of outdoor spaces to date; the technology was later employed by DARPA to map outdoor spaces. CEO Bill Brown is a 25-year technology industry veteran who was most recently GM of Motorola Mobility’s Converged Consumer Solutions group. Prior to that, Brown helped build multiple tech businesses including 3D sensor leader Canesta, touchscreen innovator Touch Revolution, and virtual tour company bamboo.com.
Matterport has raised $10 million from leading technology investors including Lux Capital, Felicis Ventures, Greylock Partners, Navitas Capital, Qualcomm Ventures, Red Swan Ventures and Rothenberg Ventures – as well as prominent individuals such as Crate & Barrel founder Gordon Segal and Sling Media co-founder Blake Krikorian.
About Matterport
Located in Mountain View, CA, Matterport develops technology for capturing, creating, modifying, and experiencing 3D photographic images and models. To learn more please visit our web site at www.Matterport.com.
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