Sep.21, 2013
"The MakerBot Digitizer started because I really wanted a 3D scanner to go with our 3D printer," said CEO Bre Pettis at Digitizer's official press launch on Friday. "We've taken the time to get the software right and make it easy for people."
Here's how it works: After you press the button on the Digitizer, the 8-inch turntable begins to rotate very slowly, and it takes 800 mini steps to complete the circle. A red laser runs right down the object's center and for each step, a camera snaps a photo of the red line, capturing all its contours. Then it turns the other way again with a laser from a different angle to fill in the gaps. In the roughly 12 minutes the process is done.
The accompanying software, which is compatible for Macs, PCs and Linux, processes these two scans, meshes them together and corrects all the errors.
The Makerbot 3D scanner is able to digitize physical objects up to 8" (20cm) in diameter and 8" tall and up to 3 kg (6.6 lbs.). It can scan items accurately down to the detail of about 200,000 polygons. And pressing one extra button sends the scan to a 3D printer.
"We get to set the standard in desktop 3D scanning," Pettis said. "When we looked out at the world and saw what 3D scanners could do, we wanted to make something that could make really high quality models that you could create on your MakerBot."
The Digitizer is available for order now and will ship early next month. Current price is $1,400 plus an optional $150 for MakerBot Digitizer MakerCare, a service and support program. Pettis said he expects to sell tens of thousands of Digitizers, however it is still not the low-cost 3D scanner you may have been waiting for. "There are DIY options out there, but we've spent the time and energy on the software to make this a really seamless experience." Pettis explains.
Posted in 3D Scanning
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I'm waiting for reviews of the Matterform compared to this before I would make a decision.