We're already using our phones to take photographs because it's super convenient. But what about 3D-scanning in the next few years?

An app that's currently in development by researchers at ETH Zurich makes 3D scanning a cinch on Android devices. You just have to open the app, point the phone at a subject, and adjust its perspective around the following onscreen prompts. The software then takes several photos automatically, extrapolating the object's geometry, and maps bits and pieces from all of those 2D photos onto a 3D figure.

The idea is not new, but what makes ETH Zurich's tech different is that you can build a 3D object at its point of acquisition; you can capture and render an object in 3D where you see it, without any additional special equipment.

All processing happens in real-time on your phone, so there's constant, immediate feedback as to different angles you need to create the map. Soon, everyone will be able to go anywhere and snag textures or shapes they see.