Sculptor.Org - 3D Imaging and Scanning Systems and Equipment

Machine Replication Services - if you are a sculptor and need something scanned and reproduced
Computers and Sculpture - covers many scanning and replication technologies that may be useful for sculptors, mostly too large and expensive yet.; Lots of good ideas and approaches and related fields.
Surface Digitizing - some more of the technology for imaging solids
Rapid Prototyping - services and technology, mostly not for sculptors

There are many different reasons for scanning 3D objects. Art conservators, model makers, foundries, prosthetics designers, anthropometricists, animators, archaeologists, medical artists and sculptors are interested in how to do this.

3D Imaging and Scanning Systems and Equipment

Streamline Automation & FROG3D- Streamline’s FROG3D System takes the work out of artwork when it comes to creating sculptural enlargements. FROG3D is poised to revolutionize the way in which bronze foundries and artists approach their business. Streamline offers a cost-effective 3D sculptural system that ensures the artist’s work is replicated exactly as the original while doing away with the time consuming, labor intensive point-ups. FROG3D also offers the artist and foundries more options for either scaling the original up or down. Leap Ahead. www.frog3d.com
3dMD - 3dMD’s soft tissue images are medically-accurate 3D digital representations of the patient at a specific point in time during the period of treatment. The 3dMD image sequence can remain an integral part of the patient’s permanent health record. Clinicians can use 3dMD’s imaging technique on a routine basis as there is no radiation or other side effects usually associated with invasive imaging techniques. Pre- and post-operative soft tissue conditions can be monitored in a variety of patient postures and expressions throughout the treatment cycle. 3dMD’s systems are simple to use by all members of the clinical support team and can be easily integrated into any standard patient documentation protocol. With less than a 2-millisecond capture speed, 3dMD’s systems are effectively instantaneous and especially suited for imaging young restless children.; Our leading-edge technology captures the human form in 3-D using a technique known as Digital Surface Photogrammetry (DSP). This unique approach employs projecting a random light pattern on the subject and capturing him/her with precisely synchronized digital cameras set at various angles. By filtering different wavelengths of light, 3-D surface geometry and surface texture are acquired simultaneously, resulting in a very accurate texture map when applied to the surface data. With the capability of 144 digital cameras shuttering simultaneously, our scalable capture systems can overlap the random light pattern to let you digitally capture a full 360° view of the subject in a single shot. Contact: info@3dMD.com or North America: +1 770.612.1176, Europe: +44 (0) 208 582-0242.
Eyetronics, established February 1998, specializes in 3D-acquisition technology, ranging from consumer-oriented products to high-end special effects for the film industry.; Eyetronics' goal is to design cost-effective 3D acquisition systems that use off-the-shelf components.; The ShapeSnatcher 3D-toolkit turns any camera into a 3D-acquisition device. Just insert the ShapeSnatcher slide into a slide projector, project the slide onto the object, and capture its image. ShapeSnatcher creates a 3D model from this single image. ShapeSnatcher software works with a broad range of cameras, ranging from low- to high-end. The 3D models can be exported to almost any commercially available 3D modeling package.; A companion product, ShapeMatcher, can extract texture information for your 3D image. It runs on Windows2000, Windows98, Windows95 and WindowsNT systems, with Linux and SGI versions following soon.; For more information, please contact info@eyetronics.com; or sales@eyetronics.com .;A good starting point for the technology.
Olympus America - 3D Technology -; 3D ScanTop; An Olympus digital camera takes pictures from different perspectives. These are integrated by the powerful scanware software into a 3D wire grid composed of several thousand triangles. The software then maps the texture on top of the 3D grid to complete your 3D-SPX models. During every step of the scanning procedure it is possible to influence the image resolution, the number of pictures used, and many other parameters to obtain the perfect scan. The scanware software automatically takes over the whole process to deliver an optimized 3D scan.
Gaspardo & Associates, Inc. We are a service laboratory specializing in reverse engineering and dimensional analysis.; Reverse engineering consists of; taking an existing part and reproducing it's surface geometry in a three dimensional (3D) data file in a computer aided design (CAD) system.; For dimensional analysis we can pull various dimensions off the point cloud and produce a color map.; With our machines "It's like having a...3-D copier" at our disposal.; Contact: Steve Gaspardo, President, (630) 761-8800 or Stevea@gaspardo.com
3DV Systems 3DV has developed revolutionary depth sensors, which enable 3D Object Oriented Video Capturing. The depth map video indicates the range from the camera to each pixel (picture element) on the scene as a grey level value (for example: the shorter the range - the brighter the pixel). It is used for a variety of applications such as segmentation of the scene according to its 3D structure, analysing and detection of objects, etc. all done in real time. A detailed explanation of the camera concept can be found in the following SPIE paper: "3D Imaging in the studio", Dr. G. J. Iddan & Dr. G. Yahav; SPIE Vol. 4298, pp. 48. Click here to view the article (pdf format 567KB).; Outline of the technology at 3DV.
3D-MATIC a research laboratory of the Department of Computing Science, University of Glasgow. The purpose of 3D-MATIC is to address the needs of SMEs wishing to gain access to advanced 3D non-contact digitisation techniques by connecting industrialists with research groups and researchers working in that field. To this end, 3D-MATIC is the lead academic partner in the Imaging Faraday Partnership, a DTI and EPSRC sponsored Faraday Partnership jointly managed by the National Engineering Laboratory, Sira Limited and the University of Glasgow.; A variety of non-contact, optically-based 3-D data acquisition techniques have been developed in recent years that can be applied to the imaging of the human body. It is now possible to obtain commercial off-the-shelf devices based on any one of a wide variety of 3D optical sensing techniques such as:
3D Metrics 3DMetrics' mission is to be the world standard in precision 3D imaging and measurement technology for live subjects.; This 3D flash projects a color-coded grid pattern onto an object, effectively encodes a 3D object into a 2D image when it is fired by an ordinary digital camera. The whole encoding process can be less than 0.005 second. The company's precision 3D digital imaging systems can be configured as a single or multiple camera systems for full 360° instantaneous views.; Technology, Hardware.
3rdTech - DeltaSphere™ Laser;3D;Scene Digitizer
- Compact, self-contained, portable system
- Computer controlled, high-precision, long-range, laser scanning from 0 to 40ft.
- Automatic 150°elevation by 360° azimuth scanning with no manual intervention
- High speed capture - complete scenes ranging from 10 - 30 minutes; 25,000 samples/second
- Built-in Ethernet connectivity for communication with your PC or laptop
- Optional, integrated digital color camera with wide FOV for full color scenes
A relatively low cost 3D camera : Take a look at what Visual Interface Inc has done to combine full color digital photography with millisecond 3D scanning - all in a portable unit. Their Virtuoso system uses a Kodak DC120 or DCS420 mounted on top of their "shape camera" which uses a projected stripe pattern and six independent high-resolution image sensors to capture 3D shape information.; The PC software used to "develop" the 3D images supports a variety of 3D formats including;; OpenInventor, VRML., DXF, STL, PLY, and OBJ.; Particular support for 3D Studio Max and VI Studio.; You might want to read, Multi-baseline Stereo Using Surface Extraction by Lawrence Zitnick, Jon A. Webb, November 24, 1996 to learn more about their 3D technology.; [This site seems to be offline.; You can find contact information for Visual Interface at; http://vr.isdale.com/3DScanners/3DScannerCompanies.html ]

ShapeGrabber 3D Inspection Systems Vitana Corporation designs, manufactures and markets Computer-Aided Inspection equipment for use in first article inspection, quality control, tooling verification and wear analysis. In addition, the company supplies component hardware and software that enable OEMs to include custom laser-based systems into their applications. We've recently shipped scanners for restoration, archiving of statues etc. mainly in Italy and Portugal." Contact: Joel Bisson, President, Vitana Corporation, Tel: (613) 749-4445, joel.bisson@vitana.com

Monash University has developed technology that enables low-cost, fast, accurate, high-resolution measurement of 3-dimensional shapes.; The technology is generic and can be used in many applications and diverse applications in entertainment, manufacturing, health and medical industries have been identified. A non-contact vision system, the technology is able to accurately measure complex surfaces of objects in three dimensions at very high data acquisition rates.; This allows the user to generate surface maps that can be used in diverse applications such as animation, design, and manufacturing.

Acquisition time: <3 seconds
Processing time:; 8,000 points/second
Depth accuracy: better than 1/2,500^th of field of view
Vertical samples: 128
Horizontal samples: 512
Max no. of samples: 128,000

Third Dimension Software Ltd." is a UK organisation specialising in providing solutions for 3D related applications. Within these web pages you will find examples of our work, from 3D digitisation, calibration for machine vision and range data processing, through to simulation of 3D systems, virtual reality and advanced 3D graphics. " Find information there on 3D Machine vision, Calibration, Handling range data, 3d Explorer VR, and 3D toolkits.

3D scanning at the VIS-Lab "Using the 3D scanning technology it is possible to quickly and efficiently get 3D computer models of works of art in museums, churches or of memorials. This data can be used for virtual presentations on the WorldWideWeb or for a digital catalog. The advantage of 3D models over videos and images is, that the observer is able to get a really three-dimensional impression of the work of art. Of course, the 3D data can also be used to reconstruct sculptures or to make exhibition copies to preserve the originals." Research Areas : 3D Acoustic Architecture Visualization Assembly Planning Digitizing / 3D Scanning Entertainment Human Computer Interaction HCI Multi-User VR Virtual Prototyping VRML: VR@Internet

Hymarc Ltd. -- 3D Vision Systems "Hymarc's primary product line "Hyscan", is a 3D scanning laser digitizer which rapidly acquires XYZ data points from any complex surface. Based on the unique and patented "synchronized scanning" technology, Hyscan combines very high speed non-contact surface mapping capability with high accuracy for reverse engineering, product design, prototyping, and inspection applications. Colorscan Laser Digitizer "
[See also : Guide to Technologies For Non-Space Applications]

3D Scanners Home Page "ModelMaker measures 3D data using a principle known as laser triangulation. A beam of laser light is projected as a stripe onto a 3D object and viewed at an angle using a video camera. The image seen on a screen reveals the a contour of the object where the laser light intersects the surface of the object. ModelMaker uses a SURFA board - a dedicated 3D image processing board - to capture the contour in real time." How ModelMaker Works! 3DSCAN Project About 3D Research & Development Products

ISPRS V Home Page International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), Commission V - Close Range Techniques and Machine Vision. Technical Commission V has traditionally been involved with non-topographic or close range photogrammetry, which initially dealt with architectural recording and non-topographic mapping from film cameras. Current research and development concentrates on the use of video and CCD technology for manufacturing process control, industrial metrology, reverse engineering, heritage recording, biostereometrics, virtual environment modelling, and image sequence and motion analysis.

ISPRS Working Group III/2 Algorithms for Surface Reconstruction Algorithms for surface reconstruction from different cues, such as stereo, shading, shadows, texture and spectral properties.; Integrating information from different sources, including aerial and satellite imagery, radar data, range data, multiple images, and GIS data.; Automatic verification and quality control of reconstructed surfaces.; Interrelations between matching and interpolation.; Role of surface reconstruction in automatic scene analysis.

InnovMetric Software / Company Information " POLYWORKS, the leading polygonal modeling software suite for 3D digitizers. POLYWORKS' highly-automated, fast-working tools have enabled manufacturers and service bureaus to dramatically increase their productivity. POLYWORKS creates accurate, complete models of complex objects (including color models), using an interface that is remarkably easy to learn and use. POLYWORKS is ideal for 3D graphics applications such as computer animation and games development, for real-time applications such as creating virtual environments and on-line 3D worlds, for rapid prototyping, and for machining. MEdit/IMCompress, a complete solution providing several methods to optimize 3D models for real-time applications. IMEdit/IMCompress processes very large models, which makes it ideal for tessellated CAD models, models built from 3D digitizer and CAT/SCAN data, as well as Digital Terrain Models. "

Minolta Corporation, ISD "Minolta introduces a new concept in 3D digitizers... the Vivid 700. A portable non-contact 3D color scanner.The first truly portable 3D scanner on the market, the VIVID 700 makes it easy to digitize anywhere with the ATA-PC memory card. No on-site workstation is required." Scanned area (x,y) 70mm X 70mm to 1100mm X 1100mm

Monolith Studios "The creative professionals at Monolith F/X use top-of-the-line equipment to achieve the highest quality results. Services include: 3D scanning and digitizing of objects and models, Optical motion capture, 3D rendering and animation "

TrueSolid (on Silicon Graphics Machine) "TrueSolid is a volume-graphics package for users and developers dealing with large volumetric data sets or complex geometric solids (or both). Comprehensive tools are provided for interactive visualization, manipulation and analysis. Input includes SGI Inventor, NLM Visible Human data sets, raw volumetric files, scanners (medical and laser), IGES, etc. Rapid prototyping ('.stl') files can be output."

NVision, Inc 3D "Advanced Laser Digitizing - NURBS Polygon Model Creation - High Res and Reduced. NVision, Inc. is one of the technology leaders in the digitizing industry with over five years of experience. We provide unique 3D products and services for animation, visual effects, game development, reverse engineering, rapid prototyping, and inspection/gaging. NVision's proprietary and patented tools have earned clients such as Digital Domain, Dream Quest, Disney, Interplay, Hughes Christensen, and Northrop-Grumman." DigiBot II CDI Surfacing Software;ModelMaker

Digibotics "Why bother with awkward cameras, arms and confusing CMM calibration procedures when the Digibot II laser digitizer can do the work for you? Explore our web site and see how simple digitizing can be." The Digibot II is a general purpose, portable, desktop laser digitizing system for use in laboratory and office environments. Simply place a complex object on the Digibot II and start scanning. The Digibot's sensors will automatically orient the part to capture accurate, high-resolution surface data even for objects with deep cavities, severe undercuts and multiple contours.

CyberWare, 3D Scanner "Cyberware manufactures a variety of instruments for 3-dimensional scanning. Pioneered by Cyberware, the laser- and video-based technology can scan complex objects in only seconds. Cyberware makes standard and custom design laser scanners for many different applications. Some of these applications include industrial design, animation, anthropology, and medicine. Cyberware's leading product quickly scans a person's head. The scan produces a detailed three-dimensional dataset of the facial features and a detailed texture map of the surface color. The Cyberware 3030RGB/PS Scanner is famous for its invaluable use in animation and special effects. This scanner has played a role in the movies Star Trek IV, The Abyss, Robocop II, Nightmare on Elm Street, Terminator II, The Doors, Neuromancer, Batman II, Jurassic Park, and many others." Cyberware Model 15 3D Digitizer

Immersion Corporation "Immersion Corporation is devoted to producing high quality tools for advanced computing. Our specialties are Force Feedback and 3D Digitizing, two technologies that provide a gateway between the physical and virtual worlds." 3D Digitizing Force Feedback

GTCO Corporation Freepoint 3D ( line of three-dimensional digitizers. This product line uses a new ergonomic and unrestricted hand-held probe, is portable, and can digitize any material. Freepoint 3D is available in three different size configurations ranging from a 1 x 1 x 1 meter (3.25 x 3.25 x 3.25 feet) to 2.4 x 2.4 x 2.4 meters (8 x 8 x 8 feet) to 4.8 x 2.4 x 2.4 meters (16 x 8 x 8 feet) active volume. Freepoint 3D replaces Sciences Accessories GP-12 3D product line.

BEI Products VertiSketch: 3D digitizing system for LightWave 3D. With VertiSketch animators can make complex organic 3D models from physical objects in minutes.

Fearless Eye 2D and 3D Modeling/Animation Nice animation. Users of sonic digitizers.

Synthetic Aperture Radar, SAR - Vexcel Vexcel Corporation has a longstanding heritage as a leader in the advancement of new and innovative synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing technologies. The company is today internationally recognized for its work in the field of synthetic aperture radar research and development. These activities, aimed at extending the state-of-the-art for extracting information from radar data, have significantly contributed to the growing recognition of synthetic aperture radar as a valuable data set. As a result, both government and commercial sector organizations are increasingly benefiting from the utility of this inherently powerful source of information. Processing techniques such as interferometry (IFSAR), tomography, radar stereo, wavelets, shape-from-shading, and the ability to combine radar with high-resolution optical data are supporting research efforts and commercial applications in mapping and resource management, as well as national security.

VR News 3D Scanner Review Links

INO is a world class center of expertise in optics and photonics that assists companies in improving their competitive edge and developing their business.

Uncooled IR Bolometric Focal Plane Arrays
High Speed, High Power 3D Laser Profiling Sensor
MapScan Handheld 3D Cam - This is the first handheld 3D camera that is as easy to use as a conventional handycam.
- Specification sheet (PDF)

I-SiTE - 3D Laser Imaging uses state-of-the-art scanning hardware. Accurate distances are achieved by means of electro-optical (laser) range measurement and a two axis beam scanning mechanism. Angular movements of the scanner head allow a number of independent laser measurements to be collected at different, but well-defined angular directions, generating true 3D images.; The scanning range is up to 700 m for targets of >50% reflectivity, with a horizontal range of 340 degrees, a vertical range of 80 degrees and an accuracy of +/- 25 mm.

InSpeck - InSpeck Inc. is the reference in 3D digitizing using non-laser technology. Specializing in the field of digitizing real objects, and particularly living beings (humans), InSpeck’s main functions include the research, design, development and manufacturing of non-contact optical 3D digitizers and 3D modeling software, which support applications for computer aided design specifically for Modeling, Animation, Multimedia, Electronic Games, Electronic 3D Archiving, 3D Web, and Virtual Reality. Other popular applications include biomedical imaging.

3D Capturor is an entry level digitizer designed for the non-specialized user. Compact, portable, and easy to set up, the InSpeck 3D Capturor is able to pick up the 3D geometric data and color texture from any given surface, in a fraction of a second. Three configurations are currently being offered for the 3D Capturor; a small, a standard and a large volume of measurement.

Digimask - Digimask has developed a unique software technology using standard digital photographs that permits the easy creation of a lifelike, 2D or 3D representation of an individual’s head that can be animated or distorted in highly realistic, as well as creative, ways.

Surphaser provides a unique combination of rapid scanning, high resolution and great accuracy with a large field of view. This laser-based device from Basis Software Inc. can precisely digitize any arbitrary form from machined parts to art objects. It is suitable for a wide variety of tasks including documenting art works, reverse engineering, capturing engineering drawings from artist models and surface inspection for quality control to name a few applications. It can successfully image a wide range of shapes and sizes and can be used at distances ranging from centimeters to meters.; A dense sampling of tens of millions of coordinate points are collected from the object's surface in less than a minute. The software package provided with the instrument can merge multiple partial views into a complete model. Specifications; (200,000 points per second, rotating optical wedges)

ARIUS3D Using a revolutionary system, Arius3D digitally captures both the color and geometry of real world objects, simultaneously and in perfect registration Objects are captured independent of ambient light and at near microscopic resolution, resulting in archival quality, 3D digital copies of real world objects.; 25 microns range accuracy.)

Minimum resolution, X and Y Axes 50 microns
Minimum resolution, Z Axis 10 microns
Number of pixels, X-Axis ~1000 per scan line
Number of pixels, Y-axis limited by travel of motion system
Number of pixels, Z-axis ~5000

OPTON - non-contact, whole-field, 3D Moire measurement

Wicks and Wilson Ltd; TriForm uses normal white light to capture the 3D geometry and associated colour of a surface. The system includes one or more capture units connected to a PC running the TriForm software. The software controls the synchronisation, processing, display and analysis functions. Various configurations of TriForm 3D scanners are available including specialised units for capturing the human head, legs or whole body.

Textile Clothing Technology Corporation - Products; 10 seconds, 150,000 points, whole body scanning booths