Dec 8, 2015 | By Benedict

The SCANIFY 3D scanner has already been used to produce accurate 3D images of the 30,000-year-old the Venus de Galgenberg, one of the world’s oldest figurines. Following a new product announcement, users of the 3D scanner can now take their historical projects on the road, and will be able to scan a wider range of 3D objects.

Fuel3D, the company behind the SCANIFY range of 3D scanning equipment, has developed two new products which can each be used to improve the functionality of the SCANIFY 3D scanner. The first of the new products, the SCANIFY Mobile Package, will enable users to connect an existing SCANIFY 3D scanner to a tablet computer and a standard 4200mAh lithium-ion polymer rechargeable battery for increased portability. The other new product, SCANIFY Press-and-Scan, is a 3D scanning “compound”—a Playdough-like malleable material into which flat or shiny objects can be pressed to provide a matte, ready-to-scan, inverse 3D image.

The SCANIFY 3D Scanner, which features two 3.5MP cameras and three Xenon flashes, won the 2015 CES Best of Innovation Award in the 3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing category. However, like many 3D scanners of its kind, it was burdened by mobility limitations. Users could not stray far from a computer or power source when using the device, meaning that 3D scanning could only take place in certain locations. The SCANIFY Mobile Package seeks to eradicate those limitations, by allowing the 3D scanner to be mounted to a tablet computer and rechargeable battery. The company has redeveloped its 64-bit software into a 32-bit version to support Windows tablet use.

“With this development, we have given SCANIFY users the freedom to take 3D scanning to places where it just wasn’t possible before,” said Stuart Mead, Fuel3D CEO. “Whether you’re exploring ancient ruins, visiting a sculpture exhibition, or hosting an event where guests are being scanned, SCANIFY can help you preserve your experiences in 3D.”

Rather than create a readymade mount in a particular shape and size, Fuel3D is distributing the Mobile Package as a set of cables and a 3D printable file, which users can tailor to the specifications of their particular tablet computer, before 3D printing it themselves. “We wanted to offer our customers the ability to go completely mobile by removing the need to remain tethered to a power supply,” explained Andrew Larkins, Fuel3D CTO.

The Press-and-Scan compound offers users of the SCANIFY 3D scanner a different kind of flexibility. Anybody who has tried to take a flash photograph of a glass surface, glossy artwork or object of a similar kind will have noticed that the outcome tends to be a poor one. Many 3D scanners also struggle when faced with shiny objects, and the special compound attempts to provide a solution. Instead of scanning an object such as a piece of silverware, users can press the object into the putty-like material to create an imprint of the object. This imprint in the compound can then be scanned, rather than the object itself. The shininess problems are eliminated, since the compound is entirely matte.

“All 3D scanners face challenges when it comes to shiny, flat or reflective surfaces,” said Larkins. “With the SCANIFY Press-and-scan compound we are providing our users with an option to help them overcome some of these challenges.”

The Mobile Package is already listed on the Fuel3D online shop (currently sold out), with the compound soon to follow.

 

 

Posted in 3D Scanning

 

 

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