At a point in our research into this subject, a colleague and I began researching 3D laser scanning with great anticipation at what it could provide. Neither of us had experience or background in 3D scanning, so we took some time to study the market and the various vendors. We came upon options that seemed to provide what we needed, but at a purchase price that was far beyond our budget. We also looked at 3D scanners that were affordable, but not adequate for our needs. Finally my lab manager and I took a look at 3D Digital Corp., and were encouraged by the combination of price and technical sophistication in both the eScan and Optix units. We visited the company headquarters for a demonstration and learned a good deal. Soon after, there was a more formal presentation and training session at our lab in Baltimore, using the Optix model we selected.

For reasons of non-disclosure that are routine prior to completion of experiments and publication of the results, it isn’t possible to share many details of the research work we’ve done using 3D scanning. In general, it involves the elements of visual neuroscience that allow shape recognition and object perception in the higher visual centers of the brain. The application of advanced technology that could be developed from work like ours is, in the best-case scenario, dramatic and valuable. It involves computers and robots attaining much more human-like capacity for recognition and response to objects, for example in micro-surgery. The field is still at an incipient stage—it is agreed that large rooms filled with mainframe computers still cannot match the acuity and capacity found in the brain of a normal three-year-old human.

Our first field work took us to the Walters Art Museum, to scan an abstract sculpture. We performed the scan and imported our file using the SLIM software. The museum was very cooperative, but it was made clear to us that a limited time slot would be available. We had to capture and import our files in one attempt, which we were very pleased to be able to do. The consults and training we received from 3D Digital engineers made it possible for us to achieve our goal in one shot.

Embrace 3D Laser Scan Technology

Now, thanks to us, it is easier than ever to have a 3d scanning device anywhere that you need the technology. Our scanners easily interface with almost any personal computer via the USB connection and the software that is paired with the scanners is very simple to use, yet powerful enough for large scale fabrication projects. To meet the demand of various types of users we have a 3d laser scan product for almost every need in the manufacturing and 3D modeling industries. There has been a huge buzz lately around what a 3d laser scan device can do and if used correctly they can provide a great resource for your business to be more efficient and get things done faster than you have ever imagined.

Is it time for your company to embrace this technology? The answer to that question is almost always a resounding yes if you are in the correct industry. Here at 3D Digital Corp we will guide you along the way and help you with any issues you may encounter during your use of our 3d laser scan devices.

Game Changing Cheap 3D Scanner For Business or Personal Use

Our Optix line of scanners is one of the most versatile systems in the industry. Since we offer interchangeable heads and have created this line of scanners in such a way that they can be easily set up and taken down by using a tripod and small compact design it is ideal for portable solutions. We offer a convenient USB connection for all models in this line. There is not one cheap 3d scanner in the industry that can easily compete with the Optix line when it comes to how versatile this product is. You will not be disappointed by choosing any of our Optix models for your home or business applications.

When faced with a choice of the latest 3d scanner to choose for your business it would be a great idea to take a look at all of our current offerings. We work directly with businesses and universities to develop custom scanning solutions for their needs. Working with you on a new project would be an honor and providing a great cheap 3d scanner that will fit in your budget is our mission. Our company is ready to help your company succeed by taking things to the next level with a professional 3d scanning device!

Connect On The Go Or In The Office With A Desktop 3D Scanner

Our portable 3D scanners will interface with virtually any desktop or laptop computer that uses a USB port and you will be amazed at the results your business is likely to see. Why not increase your sales? Why not become more efficient? Having 3D laser scanning technology at your fingertips is a great way to keep your business strong and avoid the pitfalls that many so often encounter when running a business. Adopting the latest technology is great and our affordable desktop 3d scanners are a great way to make sure you have the technology that is needed to keep your business at the top of its game.

Get in touch with us as soon as you can to find out what our custom options are or if you need training on your latest 3D scanners purchase. We are friendly and easy to work with. It’s in our nature to take care of you and make sure that your 3D scanner works the best that it can for your business!

The purpose of the operation we conduct using a 3D laser scanner made by 3D Digital Corporation is to obtain, through the use of vintage sample parts, totally digital technical documentation of the component design. As noted, these helicopters have been around long enough that the format of their design documents are paper blueprints.

In sequence, we follow this procedure: First we scan the physical piece supplied by the client. Using the SLIM software application, we clean up all excess points. Next will come triangular construction of the mesh and creation of a solid digital object. Once that’s accomplished, we focus on data entry, including material type, material tolerances and specifications, and the like. What the 3D laser scanning process then delivers for us the all-important CNC digital file from which the component can be generated in the modern way. The other important factor is that, once the product is produced and ready for testing, we are able to store all data in digital format for the next time this part is needed. The result is that we can economically and efficiently keep valuable aircraft flying and help ensure safety for their crews.

5: 3d scanners assisted in the renovation of several important historical statues in Italy. A team from Stanford scanned Michaelangelo’s statues, and the data gleaned was extremely important in these statues renovations. The David was the most notable statue scanned.

4: It is much easier to scan a real world object than to build the model from scratch. Making a model more lifelike without data to compare it to is extremely difficult. A 3d scanner can make this process go much faster.

3: There are several different forms of 3d scanners. Some use triangulation, others use lasers. All function in the same basic format though; by storing points along the surface of the object as data sets. The only thing that differs is how those data points are made.

2: 3d scanners make computer generated images much more real and lifelike. You have probably seen poorly done CGI, and this is probably due to the fact that these images were created from scratch. With data from real world objects, the 3d model looks much more lifelike. One of the most popular recent films that have used 3d scanners to create CGI is Avatar.

1: The average price of 3d scanners is decreasing, while the quality of the scanner itself is increasing. As this technology becomes more commonplace this trend will continue. Expect to see more affordable and sophisticated versions of the 3d scanner in the near future. As with any new technology, continued innovation will make it a part of lives more and more every day.

Supplying 3D Scanners to High Demand Clients

So what are you supposed to do about it? You need to look at getting your next 3d scanner from 3ddigitalcorp. We specialize in getting you the 3d scanner for your unique purposes. Whether you need a scanner for medical reasons or you are a contractor needing to use technology for your buildings, we can help set you up with the right tools at the right prices. Our client base is wide and varied; from dentists to the entertainment industry, and even the US Army, if you need a 3d scanner, we can help you get what you need.

There is no reason to settle for an inferior 3d scanner. This technology has made amazing strides in the past decade, and you can get a high quality 3d scanner for a relatively low price if you act quickly. Don’t settle for less! You can even set up a live demonstration to see what our 3d scanners can do when you contact us. The highest quality scanners are only moments away at our website; contact us today to find out what all we can do for you.

Standard two-dimensional X-rays are far from sufficient to the task, due to problems such as distortion, magnification, and overlap of anatomical features. CBCT data allows the practitioner to visualize the quantity of hard tissue as well as avoid such anatomical sites as nerves and sinus passages. Acquisition data is imported into third-party software (such as SimPlant) where dental implant planning and placement can be accomplished before the clinical procedure. The optical scan of the patient’s mouth (dental cast model) is registered for placement of virtual teeth. In addition, a 3D laser scan of patient cast models aids in proper registration of the cast model and ordering of a surgical guide. 

Optically scanning the patient cast model became the opportunity for referring practitioners to significantly increase their use of the dental implant guided software. After researching the optical scanners available, there were low-priced, very affordable units that were not up to the task, and there were models that would do the job but their price was in the range of $40,000. The 3D Digital eScan was the one affordable scanner with the power and precision required.

When ordering my eScan, I explained to 3D Digital the application required and was told that a jig could be designed and built, then shipped with the scanner for our custom use. Once the user becomes familiar with the scanning process and deploys bundled software to optimize STL files, successful results are achieved. Surgical guides fabricated from this process fit perfectly, with the clinical result being positive patient outcomes.

W. Bruce Howerton, Jr.  DDS MS
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist

At Iowa State’s Wind Energy Manufacturing Laboratory (WEML), the big problem to solve involves the placing of fiberglass fabric into their molds, which can be a difficult process to execute without getting wrinkles to form.  Our graduate students are using the 3D Digital Optix to capture a point cloud of the fabric when we place it in molds. This gives us a three-dimensional picture of the small disturbances on the surface of the fabric.  As we continue to capture this data, we hope to develop automated methods for placing and manipulating the fabric; which could speed up the process, reduce labor and related costs.  The scanner is also critical in the process of understanding the final quality and finishing requirements for the turbine blade, which needs to be long, strong and very smooth (wind blades are essentially acting like wings on an aircraft).  In checking for quality, we point the scanner so it gives us the “wind’s eye view” of the blade; which will hopefully tell us where quality challenges come from, and what upstream processes need to be improved.

I was introduced to 3D laser scanning at Penn State, where my PhD dissertation advisor introduced me to reverse engineering and rapid prototyping using this new technology.  Early use at Iowa State for the Optix scanner was in a project for the rapid manufacturing of service parts for agricultural equipment; research in a subtractive rapid prototyping process called “CNC-RP”.  The idea was to be able to deliver fully functional service parts for perhaps decades-old equipment that is still in use (a challenge for both agricultural and military equipment, in particular).   This is necessary when the parts are unavailable, would require long waiting periods, or would require extensive inventories in warehouses — perhaps not acceptable when a crop needs harvesting right away or costs are prohibitive.  In one example, we created a linkage for a harvester, scanning the failed component, importing it to a CAD program, modifying the file to “fix” the broken section, then rapid machining the actual new part in-house.  From arrival of the failed part to boxing and shipment of the new steel part was 48 hours total.

We have a competitor’s scanner also in use at our department.  It is sufficient for introductory teaching and demonstrations.  I wouldn’t bring our Optix 400 into the classroom where large groups of students will have their hands on it continually; however, I don’t use the competitor scanner in our research lab for technical R/E and prototyping, either.

Dr. Matthew C. Frank, PhD, Assoc. Professor
Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa

04-29-2011                                                                                                                            The field of three-dimensional laser scanning and my field, known as “haptics,” are both fairly new on the scene. I was originally an artist—a sculptor-engraver, primarily in glass—until I was struck by a car while walking in 1986 and injured extensively. My career to that point had been a successful one, including purchase of my work by such well-regarded collections as the Corning Museum of Glass in New York and the Pilkington Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Physically unable to continue in my chosen field conventionally, I attempted to use computers for the artistic act of forming shapes and creating three-dimensional effects to engage the senses. One sense that could not be engaged via computer-screen programs was touch, and that omission spoiled the enjoyment of 3D digital sculpture for me. It also got me interested and involved in the field of haptics. That interest led me on a winding path to a research fellowship at Birmingham City University, where I now work.

Human haptics is the study of the human end of touch and bodily perception and machine haptics is tactile feedback technology. Via a computer, a haptic system can simulate touch sensation through forces, vibrations, and the like. One excellent application for it involves museum objects—a Classical bust, a tapestry, a carved ivory piece—that blind visitors to the museum cannot experience in any way. These visitors lack a sense of sight, and museum rules forbid touching the objects. With haptic technology, we are able to create a virtual tactile experience of that object.

This is where 3D laser scanning comes in. We use the scanner to produce a historical artifact, for example, a scan of an ivory box. We then fiddle with the file to make it “feelable.” The effect is fairly jaw-dropping when you first experience it. You are looking at a screen that shows an object in three dimensions that does not strictly speaking exist, yet you can feel its contours and tactile details.

This work depends on 3D digital scanning, which when I first investigated it, was a difficult product area to navigate. I suppose to some extent it still is. The 3D Digital scanner was the first unit our laboratory bought, but over a year of research came first. Mostly that was me, traveling to trade shows and exhibitions. Our need was for a scanning system with flexibility of setup and powerful software. Eventually we would be wishing to produce every object as surface geometry with an accurate visual overlay—a camera image. That’s our common practice, and it works well. I was reassured to see that 3D Digital’s product had such capability and ease of use for such a reasonable, affordable price. It takes some user sophistication to get the most out of 3DD’s SLIM software, but the results are well worth it.

One project we would like to tackle involves cane navigation for the blind. When you see a blind person moving confidently through a city environment using a special cane, that is the result of lengthy, specialized training. There is a long waiting list to receive that training. Haptic technology is the only way to computer-simulate the environment, but it would have to be done quite flawlessly, or the user would be put at risk. But that’s an example of what’s going on in fields like 3D laser scanning and haptic technology—wonderful new uses and applications are occurring to people all the time.

David Prytherch
Senior Research Fellow in Haptics and
Human Computer Interaction
Birmingham City University
Birmingham, UK