What is a 3D Scanner?

A 3D Scanner analyses an object to collect information about its shape and appearance. This information once it has been collected can be used to make 3D Models.

Industries that use 3D Scanners:

-Movie and Video game production Industry
-Industrial Design
-Prosthetics
-Prototyping
-Reverse Engineering
-Quality Control

How 3D scanners work:

These types of scanners have a cone shaped field of view and can only collect information on unobstructed objects. The image produced by the scanner tells you the distance to a surface at every point. Usually an object has to be scanned from multiple angles, multiple times to get a well-rounded and accurate result. The images produced are the aligned and merged to create a final scan.

Different types of scanner:

Triangulation 3D Scanner- This type of scanner shines a laser on the subject of the scan. It is called a triangulation scanner because the laser dot, the lase emitter and the camera form a triangle.

Hand Held Laser- With this scanner a laser dot is shone on to the object from the hand held device and a sensor measures the distance to the surface.

Structured Light scanner- A structured light 3D Scanner projects a pattern of light on the object being scanned. A camera then looks at the distortion of the pattern to determine the objects shape. This type of scanner is very fast and can scan multiple points at any one time.

Modulated light 3D Scanner- Modulated light scanners shine a light at the object that continually changes. A camera then detects all reflected light. There is no interference with this type of scanner as it is able to ignore light from any source other than the scanner.

The application of 3D scanners:

Within the entertainments industry these scanners are used to create 3D models for movies and video games. Usually an artist sculpts a model which is then scanned and used. Scanners have been used to scan tombs so as to discern the size and shape of them. Many ancient artefacts have also been scanned. They can also be used in the medical sector, especially dentistry.
3D scanners are now widely used in many sectors and industries.

They are advancing rapidly along with many other types of technology. Many people and businesses are realising the potential of using 3D scanning techniques. There are lots of reputable companies out there that provide scanning services.

For more information see 3D Scanner