May 6, 2015 | By Lilian

Fuel3D, a British developer of scanning systems and solutions today announced a strategic investment and technology development agreement with In-Q-Tel (IQT), the not-for-profit investment firm that identifies innovative technology solutions to support the missions of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC).

Born in Oxford University, Fuel 3D is claimed to be the world's first 3D scanner to combine pre-calibrated stereo cameras with photometric imaging to capture and process a 3D model in seconds. In 2013, Fuel 3D raised over $325,000 for the development of an affordable, high resolution handheld 3D scanner through its successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.

The investment from IQT will allow Fuel3D to further the development of its 3D scanning technology to provide IQT government customers with advanced 3D scanning applications.

"The ability for non-technical users to easily create 3D models of everyday objects is an exciting new capability," said Simon Davidson, Partner, IQT Investments. "We're eager to help our government customers leverage these advances through the further development of Fuel3D's technology."

The technology behind this handheld scanner has been based on the ground-breaking work by Professor Ron Daniel, Lecturer in Engineering Science at Oxford University. Originally developed for medical applications, Fuel3D scanning technology uses a proprietary approach that fuses geometric and photometric stereo images to create accurate 3D models.

According to the company, Fuel3D technology holds a significant advantage over some of other 3D scanning systems when scanning the human form: Speed. Images are captured in less than one tenth of a second, which effectively negates the errors typically associated with a subject moving during scanning. Rapid 3D image capture presents the opportunity to generate accurate 3D measurements that go far beyond what 2D imaging can provide.

"The speed with which we capture high resolution 3D data is key to what makes Fuel3D's technology different," said Stuart Mead, CEO, Fuel3D. "In just a tenth of a second, our platform can capture an accurate, measurable, full-color 3D model at resolutions of 350 microns (0.35mm) or better."

In January 2015, Fuel3D introduced its first product: SCANIFY – a $1,490 handheld, point-and-shoot 3D scanner designed for the consumer 3D market. With the investment from IQT, the technology that underpins SCANIFY will be developed for additional applications.

 

 

Posted in 3D Scanning

 

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