I wasn’t even at the airport. I was at the iLab in the Mizzou College of architectural design. Though I could be anywhere as long as the light is right because the graduate students who skillfully operate the equipment can do it wirelessly.

Basically a sensor is attached to an iPad and it transfers data either through a cable or wirelessly to a laptop. The program on the laptop (we’re using Skanect) can utilize the iPad’s camera to capture textures, otherwise the tablet is simply an expensive grip to hold the sensor with.

Once a person or object is scanned in there are a ton of possibilities. My body could be 3D printed, for example. Which is of course the ultimate goal of any technology, to replicate myself as accurately as possible.

Of course there are more practical applications immediately available for architecture as well as journalism. Visual information can be shared utilizing every side. Whether building plans or a five-part series about agriculture , an extra dimension adds more perspective to any project.