University of Virginia computer science professors Jason Lawrence and Abhi Shelat have launched a new app called Arqball Spin, putting gorgeous 3D spin photography in the hands of all users–a tool for creating slick imagery for eBooks, digital magazines and other outlets.

Check it out: “Spins are interactive visualizations of a 3D object that you can zoom in and out and spin around an axis—an experience like touching the real physical object on your mobile, tablet, or laptop … We reached our first milestone with the release of Arqball Spin, our free iPhone app. It captures spins of an object on a rotating stage, which simulates rotating the phones’s camera in a perfect circle around the object.”

In less than five minutes, this AppNewser editor created a crude test using a CD and a building block. You can download the free app and test it with a record player or other slowly rotating device. The team is currently raising money on Kickstarter to mass-produce a simple automatic stage to use with the app.