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A Closer Look at the PIXELIO 3D Scanning Accessory

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege to acquaint the readers of 3D Printing Industry to Smart 3D, a British startup developing a unique device that turns any smartphone into a 3D scanner, relying on photogrammetric apps, and allows for the perfectly stable capturing of three-dimensional images of objects that can be later used on auction sites like eBay. My previous article was met with so much interest from 3DPI readers, that I decided to explore this subject a little bit more and try to find out how exactly the PIXELIO can be used in everyday life? I also found it interesting because, in a matter of days, this device will go live on Kickstarter. Is it really worth the hype?

Pixelio 3D scanning arm

The PIXELIO Kickstarter campaign will start on October 29th, with the device shipped at an early bird price of just $119. It’s cheap and it’s multi-functional, but how do you use it and what do you do with it? Here are some examples…

As you probably noticed, people around the world expect that all independent devices will be able to be replaced by applications on smartphones, in order to make every technology capability immediately on hand, at a low price. Everyone uses their smartphones as such tools as a flashlight, a leveling tool, a camera, and a camcorder, among many others. It is no longer a trend but a straight and simple requirement. There are plenty such applications, but most of them, despite the perfection of the software involved, base their quality on the imperfect precision of the human hand. That is why the PIXELIO created.

Pixelio 3D scanning arm how it works

The first functionality of this device is for 3D printing – or, rather, 3D scanning. Overall, there is a shortage of 3D scanners on the market, and most of them are very expensive for average users. One of the best and cheapest solutions is Autodesk 123D Catch. Unfortunately, it has one weakness: the users themselves, or, to be more specific, the users’ shaking hands. This causes the smartphone not to be held in a horizontal line, resulting in snapping pictures with uneven spacing between photos, etc. In turn, this creates artifacts that have an impact on the quality of the 3D scan and, consequently, 3D printed models.

original and replica 3D print from pixelio

To use PIXELIO, the user just has to insert a smartphone into the planetary arm and start the app by clicking enter. The arm connects with the smartphone and starts the tour around the object in a perfectly-level and evenly-spaced fashion. Autodesk didn’t foresee the need for releasing the shutter of the camera wirelessly in 123D Catch, only through the use of a human finger. For this purpose, the creators of the PIXELIO arm developed and patented a solution that imitates a human finger with very similar capacity resistiveness, so the shutter is released and the whole 3D scanning action is simple. To create such a feature, PIXELIO implements the now-famous graphene material, though their imitation finger is made up of only 0.3% graphene.

In addition to photogrammetric 3D scanning, the PIXELIO can be used to quickly and efficiently snap photos of items to be sold on eBay. To sell well on eBay these days, you have to have something innovative to attract a buyer. Assuming that you will sell the same product at the same time as a thousands of other sellers, you have to present your product in a different and more eye-catching way.

Pixelio 3D scanning arm in action

With PIXELIO and the Arquspin app, users can make an omni-directional movie at home, which one can freely zoom in or out of, or even rotate on each side. Users don’t need to take dozens of pictures, but just one simple and easy-to-use device, a dedicated application, and a smartphone!  This solution can also be applied successfully by bloggers to illustrate different items on their blogs in unique and innovative ways. On a blog about cooking, for instance, the blogger can show his or her readers dishes in a three-dimensional way.  The last (but not least!) application of such a technique is the capturing of seamless, high-quality panorama photos, of a landscape or, say, an apartment that a user wants to put up for sale.

Pixelio 3D scanning arm photos

Users can use PIXELIO to shoot a timelapse from a certain angle, e.g., a shot showing the movement of the sun. To do so, just set the PIXELIO on a tripod, set the “Timelapse” function, select one of the device’s dedicated settings or create your own. Then, set the angle of rotation of the arm, the duration of its movement, the time between taking pictures, the number of steps it will make, and, finally, its start time. The PIXELIO will activate for a given time and start your GoPro or smartphone. In order to photograph the Sun moving East or West, you do not need to be on site for the exact time and do everything manually. The device automates the entire process.

At the end of the day, you can connect the PIXELIO to a power supply, put a smartfon on it, and the device will wirelessly transfer energy to it, so, the next day, everyone will be 100% charged and ready for new challenges.