This article was taken from the February 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
Scanning in 3D has just been domesticated. The Go!SCAN 3D is a 3D scanner that weighs 1.1kg and works like a digital camera. Made by Canadian company Creaform, it can quickly scan objects from 30cm to three metres in size, in chunks of 38cm x 38cm, and to an accuracy of 0.1mm, using two cameras and a projector.
The Go!SCAN 3D collects over half a million measurements per second and compares internal co-ordinates with distance from the object, which is measured by a laser. "It projects a pattern on to the object; it looks a bit like a QR code," says François Leclerc, the project manager. The scanned object distorts this code, much as how a sheet laid over a piece of furniture changes shape. By comparing the difference between the distorted code and the internal co-ordinates, the scanner generates 3D data.
The device costs around €20,000 (£16,000) and has been used by doctors to mould prosthetics, and by the Australian kayak team to scan athletes' legs to custom-fit kayaks. "It's reverse engineering," Leclerc says. "We've made this technology, now we can come up with the ideas."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
