Photosynth allows you to take multiple photos of the same scene or object and stitch them all together into one big, interactive 3D viewing experience that can be shared with anyone on the web. This translates to a lot of stored data stored – more than a million synths and panos, and more than 40 terabytes (TB) of data representing more than 100 terapixels.
When Photosynth launched over three years ago, Windows Azure didn’t exist so they used a partner to provide storage and content distribution network services. According to the blog post, “Photosynth Loves Windows Azure”, recently published on the Photosynth blog, the Photosynth team is now moving every last Photosynth pixel to Windows Azure.
According to the post, the migration started earlier this month and, when completed, all uploads will be directed to Windows Azure and served worldwide via Content Delivery Network (CDN). As the post notes: “If all goes well, we’ll increase this to 100% within a few days, and then start migrating the 40 TB of existing content from our partner’s data center into Windows Azure.”
Photosynth was inspired by the breakthrough research on Photo Tourism by the University of Washington and Microsoft Research, which pioneered the use of photogrammetry to power a cinematic and immersive experience. Prominent “synths” include National Geographic, NASA, and the Obama Inauguration.
National Geographic: Taj Mahal – Front
Read the full blog post. Learn more about Photosynth.