More on PhotoSynth

The Seattle Times gives a bit of an update on Microsoft’s PhotoSynth which popped up last month. For those who missed it, it’s a tool to organize images by creating a 3D model from them by linking features found in each. That turns into a sort of 3D slide show one can explore. (See video.)

Of note from the article:

The analysts spent a day listening to presentations on every aspect of the company but clapped loudest for the Photosynth tour.

Photosynth, for example, makes use of “photo tourism” software developed by University of Washington and Microsoft researchers; imaging products and services from elsewhere in the company; and a novel display technology developed by Seadragon Software, a Ballard startup transplanted directly into Live Labs after an acquisition late last year.

Photosynth went from research to prototype in a matter of months — a limited public preview is due out in fall — much faster than the typical software-development timeline at Microsoft.

[Microsoft researcher Richard] Szeliski said computers powerful enough to run Microsoft’s forthcoming Windows Vista operating system would be “quite adequate” to run Photosynth.

He [Szeliski] said there’s no business model built around Photosynth yet, but could enhance Windows Live Local mapping software.