Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 2, 2006. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The company Z-Corporation is showing a novel 3D scanner at Siggraph 2006. The special thing about the device is that it is freely movable and does not require rods or rails for guidance.
Most scanners calculate their position relative to the scanned object on the basis of position sensors or the angle of their mounting. The ZScanner 700, by contrast, determines its position on the basis of tracker points that are stuck onto the object. As long as at least three tracker points are in the scanner’s field of view, the device can immediately determine its relative position to the object.
It therefore does not matter whether the scanner, the scanned object or both are moved at the same time. The scanning process can be interrupted at will and continued later. It is precisely in this point that the ZScanner 700 also distinguishes itself from other products.
The device can easily be held with one hand and can scan all non-reflective surfaces. It is always freely movable, so that even angled objects can be scanned without problems. The tracker points must be made of a special reflective material. Holes in the scan are closed by going over them again.
When scanning, it does not matter what angle the scanner has to the object. The only important thing is that the distance between scanner and object is between 30 and 40 centimetres. This can be read very easily from a bar in the scanning software.
The delivered mesh has an accuracy of 0.5 millimetres at the end and can be adjusted to be as fine or coarse as desired.
The scanner costs just under 40,000 dollars and is available now.
Further Links:
- ZScanner 700
