A social network app called Viewpop where people can capture and share 3-D images has just launched. Viewpop’s CEO and co-founder, Peter Brennan, chats with B&T about its retro inspiration, a beginner’s guide to the technology and why this could revolutionise the way we view photos on social media.

“It basically captures a video in one second and then plays the video back and forward by the use of the accelerometer in the phone. That’s what gives you the 3-D look and feel. Each handset is different, particularly the android market, but the iPhone accelerometer allows you to see 3-D by just tilting your phone from side to side.”

An accelerometer is hardware within the phone which senses the speed of movement and gravity of the phone, it also senses the angle at which the iPhone is being held. For example it’s the part of the phone which switches an image horizontally when you’re watching YouTube.

The inspiration for Viewpop came from the most unlikely of places: “We did a roadtrip to the US a few years ago, and found an old Viewmaster in a thrift-store in Portland, Oregon. When you look at a Viewmaster your left eye sees the left image and your right eye sees the right image, your brain fuses them together to make a 3-D picture. That was the inspiration, how can we reinvent this and bring it into the current day and age.”

The app is targeted at three primary segments. “The first is individuals who can capture moments with friends and family like you would at a BBQ; the second is creators, people who really think outside the box. We’re really excited to see what they can do with this platform, see how they can use it in new and innovative ways; the third is brands and companies that are showcasing products, allowing people to engage more in that piece of content they’ve created instead of just looking at a flat picture of it.”

For Brennan the ability to capture and share 3-D images can appeal to a wide range of companies. “There’s so many brackets and different verticals we can look at- travel, property market, food and drink, fashion. We’re initially focusing on fashion, because we think brands can leverage it and get value out of it, but as the app develops we’ll be looking at different industries to get into as well.

“We’re really excited to see where it goes.”

Viewpop will initially be available iOS (iPhone) users only. Check it out here. 

Last year the app made the top 10 shortlist, out of more than 2,000 international startups, at the technology conference Web Summit. Some of the biggest startups in the world have participated in the annual conference, from Uber & Instagram to Kickstarter and Stripe.