3D scanner
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MIT's newest 3D printer spouts 10 materials at a time
One of the biggest hindrances to current 3D printers is that they almost exclusively stick to a single precursor be it plastic, metal or glass. At most, you can get one that extrudes three materials at a time and they're going set you back a quarter of a million dollars. However, a team of researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have debuted a novel solution that allows users to create more complex items in a fraction of the time and cost by printing up to ten different materials simultaneously.
HP reveals Sprout: The strange 3D-scanning, multi-display all-in-one PC
We've seen some strange devices here at Engadget, but honestly, we've never seen anything quite like Sprout. It's a unique machine that combines an all-in-one Windows 8 PC with a set of 3D scanning cameras, a giant tactile touchpad and a downward-facing projector (for displaying graphics on said touchpad). The design is built around a concept HP is calling "blended reality" that blends the 3D physical world with our 2D digital one. The obvious target audience is creative types. You know: makers, tinkerers, designers, etc... Rather than the traditional method of control built around mice and keyboards, Sprout focuses on touch and pen input. The 23-inch LCD serves as the primary display, but it's the bottom display, the 20-inch capacitive pad positioned under the camera and projector that serves as the primary point of interaction.
HP to show off its 3D-scanning 'Sprout' PC next week
HP is synonymous with mass-market PCs and notebooks, but according to a report from Re/code, HP is trying it proverbial hand at something new. According to the usual slew of unnamed sources, the company (which is currently undergoing some business mitosis) will show off a novel new Windows PC called the Sprout at an event in New York next week. We're not using the word "novel" lightly here, either: the Sprout is comprised of a big flat screen display paired with an expansive surface for touch input and a combination projector/3D scanner that hangs above it.
3D Systems Sense review: a 3D scanner for the masses (almost)
If we've crossed paths in the past week, there's a pretty good chance I've scanned you. This extends well beyond the human race, into the realms of animal, vegetable, plush toy and fruit bowl. Some subjects were too small to be scanned, some too fidgety and, in the case of my attempted 3D selfie, not nearly flexible enough. Such issues were mere roadblocks in my strange one-man journey to 3D-scan the world. I may have a problem. I admit it. For starters, I'm not completely sure what I plan on doing with all these scans, but while such questions are entirely logical, they've yet to curb my enthusiasm for the device. Sense is one of those propositions that seems too good to be true: a user-friendly, (relatively) portable 3D scanner capable of capturing objects up to 10 feet by 10 feet, and at a fraction of the price of the competition. If the product is indeed what 3D Systems claims, it could fill a major hole in the consumer 3D-printing market. In recent years, 3D-printing companies have largely focused on the printers themselves, which have gotten cheaper and easier to use. At the same time, the race to dominate the category has often caused companies to ignore the question of how those without extensive CAD experience can create 3D files in the first place. MakerBot unveiled its solution back at SXSW: the $1,400 Digitizer, a rotating, desktop scanning bed capable of capturing objects up to eight inches by eight inches. 3D Systems' Sense takes a wholly different approach: This is a $400 handheld scanner that can digitize an entire human being.
3D Systems' Sense scanner is compact, $400 and ready to transform 3D printing as we know it
"Game changer" isn't a term that ought be thrown around loosely. It's the kind of thing that loses value each time it's uttered -- sort of how everyone's a "genius" of some kind or other these days. Every so often, though, we get to spend some time with a product that seems to wear the moniker well. We're going to hold off here, of course -- wait until we've spent some more time 3D Systems' Sense scanner and more or less dance around the phrase in the meantime. But man, we've been pretty ecstatic about the Sense since we saw it in action a day or two ago. You see, ever since desktop 3D printers became a realistic possibility for consumers, we've been waiting for a missing link -- something that would fill in the gap between concept and creation, without the formal training required to learn CAD. It's clear, of course, that a solution is on its way, given the massive sums of money currently being pumped into the space. After all, whoever becomes the first to unlock such a thing would have a considerable advantage among the dozens of companies vying for the top prize. MakerBot swung for the fences with the Digitizer, an attempt to do for 3D scanning what its Replicator line has done for 3D printing. And indeed, we were largely impressed with the product during our hands-on earlier this week. The $1,400 lazy Susan-esque device will no doubt find success among the maker community the company has successfully courted. Common wisdom, after all, is that 3D printing and its ilk are seeding the enthusiast community first, with casual users somewhere on the distant horizon. Surely such cost and size limitations will ensure they remain the realm of enthusiasts through the first few iterations. With the Sense, measuring roughly the same as a staple gun and boasting a price falling somewhere around that of a premium tablet, 3D Systems looks positioned to leapfrog such expectations.
Occipital's Structure Sensor clamps onto your iPad for 3D scanning on-the-go
With the explosion of desktop 3D printers, there seems little doubt that the next big land grab is the world of 3D scanning. Microsoft's Kinect has taken us a few steps closer to mainstreaming the technology, and MakerBot's soon-to-launch Digitizer is no doubt likely to capture the imagination of much of that community. Kickstarter, naturally, is also littered with smaller companies looking for a piece of that action. Among them, Occipital's Structure Sensor certainly has potential. The company's looking at a lofty $100,000 goal to bring its mobile scanner to market by year's end. The device clips on to a tablet via a bracket, letting you scan objects, create 3D maps of indoor spaces and the like. All said, it's a pretty nice looking bit of hardware. Of course, we can't really vouch for ease of use or effectiveness. If you're willing to take the risk, however, a $349 pledge entitles you to the hardware, an iPad bracket and a Lightning cable.
MakerBot Digitizer pre-orders open, shipping mid-October for $1,400
MakerBot tipped off some of its loyal fans last week by way of newsletter, but now the Digitzer's arrival is officially officially. The next piece of the Brooklyn company's ever-expanding 3D printing ecosystem has been revealed piece by piece since debuting back at SXSW, and now it's finally ready to make its way to maker hands. Well, in a few months, at least. Pre-orders for the spinning 3D scanner are open now -- plunk down $1,400 (plus $150 for the MakerCare support program, if you're so inclined), and one of these bad boys can be yours in mid-October. The device captures 3D images from objects up to eight-inches tall with help from two lasers and a camera, a system the company has, naturally, optimized for its own Replicator printers and Thingiverse 3D object catalog. There's a press release below for those seeking more info.
FABtotum 3D prints and scans, mills, takes one step closer to self-replication
Granted, the name's a bit of a groaner (and we now have pictures of Bukowski sitting in front of a CAD program in our heads), but this box is capable of a pretty impressive array of maker activities. There's a 3D Printer, 3D scanner and CNC router on board. You can capture objects and print them out on the same device and do some subtractive manufacturing by way of a dual-head engraving / milling tool that can cut into wood and do PCB milling for circuit boards. FABtotum is currently up on Indiegogo, if you want to get in early. A final consumer version will run you a $1,099 pledge. Those units are expected to be delivered in May of next year.
MakerBot's Digitizer will go on sale next week, promises 3D scanning to the masses
With UPS' incoming 3D printing service and the growing availability of consumer-ready kits, printing objects is easier than ever, assuming you actually have something ready to print. If not, don't fret --MakerBot is on the case, announcing today that its upcoming Digitizer will be available for sale next week. The company hasn't yet put a price on 3D scanning, but the device (seen above) is quite a bit cleaner than the prototype MakerBot trotted out at South by Southwest. "It's the easiest, fastest way for anyone to create 3D models," boasts the product's announcement email (seen after the break). "We optimized the whole process to work perfectly with MakerBot's Replicator Desktop 3D printers." Scanned objects can be resized, edited and uploaded to Thingiverse, and will be saved as a standard 3D design file compatible with third-party modeling programs. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some crew members to replicate.
Fuel3D brings point-and-shoot 3D scanning prototype to Kickstarter
As a seemingly endless stream of companies work to bring the world its first truly mainstream desktop 3D printer, a number of folks are attempting to bridge a fairly fundamental disconnect: how to best help the average consumer get their hands on 3D models in the first place. Databases are a decent solution -- Thingiverse has a devoted community of makers working around to clock to create cool things for us to print out. Simplified software can work, too, but that still requires some artistic talent on the part of the creator. 3D scanners seem to be the most popular solution these days, from Microsoft's Kinect to MakerBot's lazy Susan-esque Digitizer. Fuel3D is the latest company to take its entry to Kickstarter. The handheld 3D scanner is based on a technology developed at Oxford University for medical imaging purposes. Now the company is looking to bring it to market at under $1,000, offering full-color, high-res 3D scans through simple point-and-shoot execution. Once captured, that information can be exported for things like the aforementioned 3D printing and computer modeling. The first three folks who pledge $750 will get their hand on a pre-production model and those who pony up $990 will receive the triangular final version. The company expects to ship in May of next year -- assuming it hits that $75,000 goal, of course. After all, Fuel3D can't exactly print money -- yet.
MakerBot unveils prototype Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner, promises easier 3D printing
Well, that was quick. Bre Pettis just started delivering South By Southwest's opening remarks and may well have taken the wraps off the biggest news of the show. Of course, we'll still have to hang out in Austin for a few more days just to, you know, totally make sure, but this really does feel like a doozy. As the MakerBot CEO puts it, "It's a natural progression for us to create a product that makes 3D printing even easier" -- but, let's be honest, few of those who don't have a vested interest in moving some 3D printers are running around calling the whole process particularly "easy." And while consumer-facing devices like the Replicator, CubeX, Solidoodle, et al. have gone a ways toward making the technology more accessible for laypeople, there's still a fundamental breakdown: the creation of models to be printed. The maker community has helped on that front, as well, with MakerBot's Thingiverse serving as an unparalleled resource for 3D images, meaning that, once your printer's all set up and calibrated, you can download and print to your heart's delight -- but what if, say, you want to print up something that some kindly soul hasn't designed for you? You could learn a CAD program -- or you could invest in an industrial 3D scanner. The latter option has lead to something of a land rush of companies and individuals looking to break things wide open with an affordable, consumer-facing offering. And while MakerBot still seems a ways away from the final product, the company used SXSW as a platform to unveil a prototype of its MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner.
Texas Instruments brings sci-fi tech to life with DLP (hands-on video)
We've come across a number of DLP-based pico projectors over the years and while these products are getting smaller, brighter and higher resolution, it's the integration with other devices that's really captured our imagination. Samsung's Galaxy Beam, which we reviewed last year, merges a 15-lumen nHD (640x360) DLP-based pico projector with a Galaxy S Advance. More recently at CES 2013, Texas Instruments announced its new Tilt & Roll Pixel chip architecture and demoed a handful of other DLP-equipped products live on our stage, including 3M's Streaming Projector and Smart Devices' U7 tablet. The company recently invited us to play with some of these devices and to show us other applications in areas such as 3D printing, 3D scanning, optical research, medical imaging and even automotive. Some of this DLP-equipped tech, like the Interactive Center Console, shows where we're headed in the near future -- other products, like Christie's VeinViewer Flex, exist today but remind us of something right out of science-fiction. Take a look at our galleries below, then join us after the break for our hands-on video and more info on these devices.
FARO Focus 3D scanner captures big 3D models from a tiny Lego trolly (video)
Nothing catches our collective eye quite as easily as the combination of high technology and childhood toys. Making a play for our man-childhood inclinations today is a Lego-augmented FARO Focus 3D, purportedly the world's smallest 3D laser scanner yet still able to detect surroundings up to 120 metres away. It can grab a cloud of points, then offer up a detailed three-dimensional model of the environment, with some extra details (thanks to those Lego wheels) that would have been obscured on a static 3D capture. Admittedly, it doesn't quite have the wow-factor of an all-Lego 3D scanner, but its range (and possible use in forensic crime scene analysis) has kept us intrigued. Check out the video after the break to investigate how you could get your CSI on.
HP TopShot LaserJet Pro M275 scans 3D objects but only prints in 2D (video)
For some reason, HP thinks your small business really needs the ability to scan 3D objects -- which is why it is releasing the TopShot LaserJet Pro. "TopShot" is the fancy name for the all-in-one's overhanging arm with a high resolution camera, which combines six images (three with flashes from different angles, and three in ambient light conditions with different exposure levels) to mimic a studio-like product shot. What's more, thanks to the Biz Card app, the TopShot can scan and import multiple business cards simultaneously. Also included are Google Documents integration and cloud apps as well as the usual ePrint and AirPrint features, which you can run without a computer on the 3.5-inch touchscreen. HP isn't talking about pricing or availability, but you can see a walkthrough of the TopShot after the break.
3D scanner app captures models using iPhone camera
Here's a cool addition to the "iOS-devices-can-do-just-about-anything" list: using a US$0.99 app to turn your iPhone 4, iPad 2 or latest-generation iPod touch into a 3D scanner, replacing hundreds of dollars worth of last year's technology. Trimensional was developed by Grant Schindler, a research scientist in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech's College of Computing. It uses the device's screen to light the object being scanned from four different directions, allowing a 3D model to be produced. Originally, users could only email their scans or send 3D animations, but now Schindler has added an in-app upgrade for a few dollars that allows you to export the data to CAD programs or 3D applications. "You can just have fun with it, or if you work with 3D models, you can use it professionally," Schindler said. You won't get the same precision results you'd expect from a professional 3D scanner, but then again, it is less than a dollar. Check out some of the images of creations that users have already produced. Cool. [Via Slashdot]
Laser backpack creates instant 3D maps, Venkman reminds you to not cross the streams (video)
Total protonic reversal? Small price to pay for an instantaneous 3D scan of a building's interior. That's what the backpack pictured above delivers, a project from UC Berkeley students and faculty Matthew Carlberg, Avideh Zakhor, John Kua, and George Chen. The pack contains a suite of laser scanners and positional sensors that enable it to capture images of building interiors as a fleshy assistant roams their halls. Those images can then be automatically pieced back together to create a 3D representation. We're having visions of instant Doom II WADs but the real boon here could be an extension to Google Maps where you could not only get a Street View but also an interior view. You know, really scope out that little Thai joint before you schlep yourself all the way downtown.
Cut-rate, webcam-based 3D scanner coming soon to a MakerBot store near you
3D scanning seems magical enough without bringing things like Lego Mindstorms contraptions into the mix. Now a cat named Andy Barry (a research engineer at NASA Ames Research Laboratory's Autodesk Innovations Lab) has gone and built one out of a webcam, a laser, and a whole lot of moxie. The premise is pretty straight-forward: a red laser sweeps across an object while the webcam keeps an eye on the beam's deflection (the more the beam shifts, the closer the object is to the camera). The computer uses this data to calculate the thickness of the object. Sounds like the perfect compliment to your Cupcake 3D printer, eh? With any luck, you should see it at the MakerBot store at around the $200 mark sometime this fall.
Lo Res Project builds abstract low-poly models of luxury cars and other trinkets
Triangles. Their scarcity has been the bane of gamers since the dawn of time (circa 1993) and every single leap forward in graphical performance has been tied to increasing polygon counts and smoothing out curvatures. Color us amused, then, to see someone going in the opposite direction for art's sake. The Lo Res Project from United Nude scans in 3D models of everyday objects -- like a Lamborghini Countach, we've all got one of those, right -- before scaling down the complexity of the resulting data to achieve radical-looking angular representations of the original as above. The best part, however, is that if they're really happy with their digital outcome, the designers go and build the damn thing in the real, living, breathing world. Some might describe it as sophistication through simplification, but we just see it as one of the truly geekiest ways to decorate your abode. Hit the source for a picture gallery.
Creator of ProFORMA 3D scanning system talks details, availability
Still a bit curious how the ProFORMA system developed at Cambridge University can turn any old webcam into a fairly advanced 3D scanner? Then settle in for a few minutes, as the researcher behind the project, Qi Pan, has taken a bit of time to chat with the Shapeways blog about the how the system came to fruition and its potential availability to the public. Interestingly, he actually started out trying to model outdoor scenes, but moved to smaller objects after discovering that the processing power required was beyond his reach. That led to about a year and half of work on the current system, which works in two stages: the first being a tracker that works out the position and orientation of the object relative to the camera, and the second being the reconstruction stage, which seems to be as effortless to use as it is complicated to explain. Perhaps the best news, however, is that Qi says he soon plans to release a Linux-based demo to the general public, and a Windows version shortly thereafter.
Z Corporation debuts "world's most affordable" portable 3D scanner, still more expensive than your car
Sure, you might be able to get by with a home-built, even Lego-built 3D scanner in a pinch, but those looking for a truly portable, off-the-shelf solution have so far been limited to pricey options like Z Corporation's ZScanner 700. Well, it looks like good 'ol Z Corp has some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is that it's knocked over $10,000 off the price for its new ZScanner 600 model. The bad news? It'll still cost you $28,900. That'll get you a sampling speed of 18,000 measurements per second, however, along with an XY accuracy of up to 80 microns, resolution down to just 0.1 mm, a depth of field of 30 cm, a FireWire interface, and Z Corp's own ZScan Lite software (Windows only). It also uses an eye-safe laser, so there's nothing but hefty credit card bill standing between you and a trip to the uncanny valley.[Via SlashGear]
