Tangram is an interesting project from the Mapzen graphics team. It tries to push the envelope of what can be done with available mapping technologies like OpenGL. In their words:
Tangram is an open-source engine for real-time 2D and 3D maps. We’re writing it around the OpenGL family of graphics languages, starting with WebGL in browsers (soon expanding to OpenGL ES on mobile devices), and integrating it with popular mapping frameworks like Leaflet. Check out our WebGL demo and read on for details.
This technology could potentially revolutionize computer graphics for applications like video games, 3D animation and data visualization and mapping