Make3D converts digital photos into 3D on the web

Link: Make3D — convert your image into 3d.

Make3D converts your single picture into a 3-D model, completely automatically.

It takes a two-dimensional image and creates a three-dimensional "fly around" model, giving the viewers access to the scene's depth and a range of points of view. After uploading your image, you can "fly" in the 3-D scene (requires VRML viewer or Adobe Shockwave), or watch a rendered 3-d movie (flash required). Visit 3-D Gallery, Hall of fame, or signup to upload your photograph.

It uses powerful machine learning techniques (more details here), to learn the relation between small image patches and their depth and orientation. This allows it to model 3-d structures such as slopes of mountains or branches of trees.

(((Okay, that's a little wonky – you can't fly "around" objects, because this program has no idea what's behind the images... but man, it makes 'em pop like a stereograph or a ViewMaster.)))

(((So we're about a sneeze away from programs that will copy the dimensions of objects with a couple of snapshots off a cellphone's camera. So you output a .stl file, ship it off to your home fabricator, and *rattle rattle hum*, you just pirated a plastic one.))))

(((Found it in TECHNOLOGY REVIEW, which isn't run by guys from Stanford but at least they're paying attention.)))