3Dscanner
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Arduino finds yet another use in homebuilt 3D scanner
The Arduino has long since proven itself to be one of the biggest boons to DIY heads since the soldering iron, but that doesn't mean it's not still able to impress, as amply demonstrated by this simple but effective homebuilt 3D scanner. While there's not exactly much to guide the rookies out there, the project does seem to be straightforward enough for anyone with a bit of experience, with the scanner itself comprised of nothing more than the Arduino, a couple of servos, and the Sharp GP2Y0A02YK Long Distance Measuring Sensor -- plus the necessary code, of course, which is conveniently provided at the link below. Once you've got everything pieced together, you should all set to make polar coordinate scans of your surroundings and watch the time fly by.[Via Hacked Gadgets]
3D scanner made entirely from Legos
We've seen some pretty kick-ass Lego creations over the years, and this one is no exception -- if anything, it gets bonus points for not only being a pretty sweet hack, but for enabling sweeter, more complex, hacks in the future. The 3D scanner was built by Philo Hurbain, who was looking for a way to model complex Lego parts for use in the LDraw CAD program. This bad boy -- including drive components and sensors -- is entirely made from the colorful plastic toy, except for the probe needle (an old school sewing needle, apparently). The "brain" of this thing is Mindstorms NXT. But that ain't all! Check out the device in action as it models a tiny Lego frog -- video after the break.[Via Make]
RealView unveils three 3D desktop scanners
We don't see too many 3D scanners 'round these parts, so we'll be excited to hit RealView 3D's booth at CES and see what all the fuss is about. The RealView 360? 3D Desktop Scanner is being billed as the world's first desktop scanner capable of capturing objects in their full 360? topographic glory, suitable for scanning mugs, model space ships, D&D figurines, and whatever else fits on its base. There are three models available: RealView 360 3D (the plain ol' VGA scanner), RealView 360 3D HD (for that hi-def resolution you crave) and RealView 360 HD Commercial (for large format scans and kiosks). Beyond that, we'll just have to wait for CES 2009 to open its doors. Soon.
Industrial Research creates 3D crime scene/movie set scanner
New Zealand's Industrial Research looks to be attracting quite a bit of interest in its prototype handheld 3D scanner, snagging fellow New Zealanders Weta Digital to help put the technology through its paces and now hoping the police will hop on board to put the scanner to more grisly uses. According to the company, the scanner's equally adept at creating a detailed 3D model of a crime scene as it is of a movie set and, what's more, it can be done in only two minutes. The model can then be examined at will by police, presented to a jury, or be used to create the most disturbing Second Life avatar ever. The scanner itself consists of a digital camera with an on-board laser that determines the distance to the object, although it also apparently requires that targets be placed around the scene to properly scan the object -- or person, as the case may be. It also currently needs to be wired to a computer to work, although NZIR says the scanner will be fully wireless by the time its ready to hit the market two years from now. [Via The Raw Feed]
ZScanner 700 -- almost as cool as a View-Master 3D
We're not sure anything could ever replace the satisfying "ca-click" sound of our old Fisher-Price View-Master 3D unit, but the ZScanner 700 3d scanner does have the bonus feature of actually being useful. Currently showing at SIGGRAPH '06 in Boston, the ZScanner 700 is a handheld unit that can scan and digitize 3D surfaces in real time, using laz0rs and dual cameras. The resulting 3D object is reflected on screen as it is imaged, and since you can move the imaged object and the ZScanner while capturing data continuously, you supposedly end up with a better model and less post processing as an end result (if their PR material is to be believed). The downside to all this freedom and accuracy is the ZScanner's $39,900 pricetag, but we're sure you can make all that back in a jiffy once you've built a functioning replicator to complement the device.[Via Medgadget]
