Job listing suggests Apple is looking to integrate 3D tech into iOS

9to5Mac points to an interesting job listing that recently surfaced on Apple’s website. The opening calls for an iOS software engineer with knowledge and experience in 3D geometry and image analysis. What could Apple be working on?

Well a number of things, actually. The company has acquired multiple 3D mapping firms over the past few years, and has several 3D-related patents in its library. Keep reading for the full job description…

“Apple is looking for a Computer Vision specialist to strengthen its multi-view stereo research group. As a member of this team you should have a genuine interest in technology and be a skilled developer with knowledge and experience in Computer Vision, Image Analysis and 3D geometry.

To qualify for this position you should have a Ph.D degree in a Computer Vision related field such as Mathematics, Physics or Computer Science. You should be a confident and experienced C programmer. Most importantly, you should have experience within one or several of the following areas:

  • Multi-view stereo and 3D construction
  • Inpainting of occluded geometry and texture data
  • SLAM
  • Mesh texturing techniques
  • Large scale bundle adjustment
  • Cameras and surfaces in a 3D environment”

Although the listing is vague, the fact that it calls for an iOS engineer narrows our field of guessing. Will future iPhones and iPads have 3D cameras? Maybe. More likely, however, is that this has something to do with the new Maps app Apple is working on.

What do you think?