The physical 3D renderer described herein renders one or more captured depth images as a physical 3D rendering. The physical 3D renderer can render physical 3D surfaces and structures in real time. In one embodiment the 3D renderer creates a physical three dimensional (3D) topological surface from captured images. To this end, a depth image of a surface or structure to be replicated is received (for example from a depth camera or depth sensor). Depth information is determined at a dense distribution of points corresponding to points in the depth image. In one embodiment the depth information corresponding to the depth image is fed to actuators on sliding shafts in an array. Each sliding shaft is adjusted to the depth in the depth image to create a physical 3D topological surface like the surface or structure to be replicated.
