For example, if one needs a model of a city, such as New York, it is just too expensive to gather. Furthermore, human organs have only recently become available in high quality 3D form through the Visible Human project. Many man-made objects exist in digital form, in terms of CAD data, but this is typically neither readily available, nor in a format useful for imaging. In summary, we live in a world in which we are surrounded by man-made and natural objects, but few exist in an available and useful digital form. 3D can have a role here as a visualization tool.
Atoms are another form of data that can be readily visualized.
The last column, Current State of 3D Use, is a reflection of both the barriers and opportunity. This table is just a way of exhibiting the world about us, be it in natural, man-made or abstract representation. However, it is clear that 3D is a tool utilized in only a very small fraction of that world of data. Thus, the lack of data useful in 3D imaging is both a barrier yet also a major opportunity. In examining the data in the table , another advantage of 3D is omitted - its infinite zoom ratio.