Photographs are a lovely way to remember that trip to the beach. It would be even lovelier if we could make a physical model to remember that trip by. You may soon be able to thanks to Disney Research.

The Zurich branch of Disney Research has revealed an algorithm that allows it to take multiple 2D photographs and convert them into a single 3D model. Before this, people would use lasers to capture 3D scans of the environment as the processing power required to render multiple high resolution photographs into a single 3D model was just not possible. With this new algorithm, Disney’s researchers were able to render a model using 100 21-megapixel images.

As you can probably guess, this research could lead to the creation of high resolution 3D printed recreations of 2D photos. Some have already dabbled in the field of converting photos into 3D printed models, but Disney’s research could prove to be the most effective tool yet at creating 3D models of various environments.

Of course, 3D printing isn’t the only technology that will benefit from this. Disney Research says that its algorithm will be used in movies and video games. Both are increasingly relying on 3D models for their environments and Disney’s new research will allow them to cheaply create high resolution 3D models based on real world photographs.

If you want to know more about Disney’s 3D model research, you can read more about it here.