cell phones news (Pelican smartphone camera creates 3D models from video that you can print)

This isn't the first time we have mentioned Pelican on Pocket-lint. The incredible smartphone technology uses a 16 lens array camera to capture Lytro style images that you can refocus after capture. Pelican however has one more trick up its sleeve and it's a good one.

Shooting video using a Pelican camera will capture a 3D model from the scene, which you can then instantly print out via a 3D printer. While 3D printers are a rarity, it's still an unbelievable concept. It would allow you to simply film a product you liked the look of and then produce a 3D printed model of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Nleclfgqn_U

Pelican's smartphone technology isn't due out until 2014, but we are already excited. Rumours are pointing towards Nokia to be the first company to use the technology commercially, which makes sense given its imaging heritage. Can you imagine pairing it with something like the sensor in the PureView 808?

Right now smartphone cameras have reached something of a plateau, with software tweaks and added megapixels doing little to really improve or alter the photo-taking experience. PureView was the last big change to the world of smartphone cameras, perhaps Pelican will be the next.