Occipital Acquires Paracosm in a Bid to Transform Even the Largest Structures into Virtual 3D Objects

As interest in augmented and virtual reality continues to grow, so does the need to bring objects from the real world into virtual space. With that, there's also now an increased need for solutions that bypass the time-consuming process of producing handmade 3D models.

Typical photogrammetry has improved a lot in recent years, and while somewhat scalable, the amount of work required to capture objects beyond the size of a car is not only staggering but often cost prohibitive. Fortunately, even with cutting-edge technology, when there is a need, someone often steps in to meet the demand.

Occipital, creators of the Structure Sensor, Bridge AR/VR headset, and the house-scale capture software Canvas, announced on Oct. 25 the acquisition of Paracosm. Based in Gainsville, Florida, the Paracosm team has been working on a device called the PX-80, a LiDAR-based point cloud capture system designed for large-scale applications.

While Occipital's Canvas is a great solution for capturing a user's home or office with a high degree of accuracy and produces a clean 3D model thanks to their Scan To CAD process, the PX-80 is built to handle much larger spaces. With a range of 100 meters, the PX-80 is ideal for capturing manufacturing plants, construction sites, or soccer stadiums.

Occipital Acquires Paracosm in a Bid to Transform Even the Largest Structures into Virtual 3D Objects — *Image via Occipital Inc.*

We've always been deeply impressed with the Paracosm team. Recently, we found ourselves working along parallel, complementary paths in the area of large-scale 3D reconstruction. We came to the conclusion that by joining forces, we'd create the strongest team anywhere building products that transform how we interact computationally with the world around us.

— Jeff Powers, CEO and co-founder of Occipital

In the wake of the acquisition, Occipital has moved the release date of the PX-80 forward to October 30, 2017.

Joining forces with Occipital is a major win for everyone. Our combined technologies will enable the 3D capture of everything from small objects to entire city blocks. Together, we can create products that truly transform the industry and put 3D at the forefront of design and construction.

— Amir Rubin, Founder andCEOof Paracosm

The marriage of Occipital and Paracosm does seem to be a natural pairing. At this point, it would appear they have the full range of 3D capture needs covered, starting with standard world objects handled by their Skanect software, to Canvas, and now massive scale with Paracosm. So regardless of your 3D model capture needs, it would appear that Occipital now has a solution for everyone.