Microsoft's Photosynth captures inaugural moment

Microsoft's Photosynth creates an interactive 3D panorama from multiple still images. CNN used the technology to re-create Obama's inauguration.

(Credit: CNET News)

Microsoft's Photosynth is an impressive tool for stitching together dozens of photos to allow a place or event to be viewed from multiple angles.

The only hard part is it really takes 75 photos or more to get the optimal experience. That's a lot of work for one photographer. But, with big events, one can also rely on crowdsourcing. Which is what CNN has done with the inaugural, asking viewers to send in their photos of Barack Obama's swearing in.

The resulting Photosynth is pretty cool. (It requires Silverlight for viewing.)

For Microsoft, it marks a high-profile showcase of Photosynth and what the technology can do. I expect to see other news organizations use it for other events, particularly sports.

What's the coolest Photosynth you have seen? Post a link below so we can all enjoy.

[ballmerisanape]

Seadragon on the iPhone/iPod Touch platform has been a pleasure to use... and does a great job at showing off this tech.

[drpr]

Seadragon is nothing like Photosynth, unfortunately. You view each picture in succession rather than having the feeling of traveling through a scene made up of photos.

[Mr. Dee]

I was just watching this on CNN, really cool stuff.

[foiler1]

Here is a cool photosynth from Windsor Colorado
http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=6a074de5-b4ea-427a-ac91-d1f11b5e8d78

[Vegaman_Dan]

Okay, this is pretty damned impressive to take all these indpendent photos and have them make a seamless merged picture. Stitching has always been tricky, but these- huh. It appears to color correct as well. It's weird to zoom in and see the presedential seal or zoom out and then go look at a single face in the audience. You get the feeling of a fly buzzing around with total freedom.

Impressive stuff.

[MaggieRed]

You should add to your story that Photosynth only works on Windows systems. Silverlight works on Intel Macs but not this other program.

[smilin:)]

Photosynth is pimp. I've been using it for a while now.

I did not think it was appropriate for CNN to promote a sponsors technology during a the inauguration of a president regardless of who was appointed. This should have been isolated to the website especially since it is just a web plugin.

[alex-cnet]

Really? Just because this is an obvious promotion for Microsoft with its Photosynth technology built with (on?) Silverlight, it should not be used? We have the technology to make really cool stuff like this and we shouldn't use it because... someone makes it? CNN certainly does not have the programmers to make such a powerful and complex software. People who do, and companies who are able to make such things exist SHOULD be promoted for it.

Sure it's an exclusive, but its not like they beat out some other software (that I know of). I'm glad Microsoft is getting this exposure, Microsoft Live Labs has some pretty innovative stuff.

[mike.gw]

Photosynth is remarkable, but it seems like it was inspired by Apple's QuickTime VR technology. Can anyone speak to this?

Apple QuickTime VR has way better result but a user to stitch the images just as you would in photoshop which was also available in flash. The main difference is the microsoft version automatically finds the similar locations of the image client side. Adobe & Apple could do this very easy since their versions are more then 7 years old.

[jokw]

wow it works great unbelievable.

[Drewnq]

Its an impressive application! Would like see it used to capture the Superbowl atmosphere !

[jhoeforth]

Putting Photosynth on top of Silverlight is amazing, IMO, this is what they should have done a long time ago instead of having two separate installers for each technology.

[obeychad]

Sweet! A bunch of poorly exposed photos with sensor spots.

[kboateng]

Love this technology...have been using it for a while and I hope Facebook and other sites take note and implement it...would make the sites a lot more enjoyable.