3D technology is in rapid expansion mode these days in its all forms. One such area with tremendous growth potential and appeal to a wider audience is portable 3D scanners, which provide a means of generating 3D digital data that can be converted into a 3D model and subsequently 3D printed. Scanning is a significant tool for reverse engineering or product development projects and the ability to control the scanner with handheld versions is an asset for many applications, however, like 3D printing the equipment is often cost prohibitive. The advent of affordable 3D printers has contributed significantly to the market for affordable 3D scanners increasing dramatically.
The Canadian company Creaform, has responded to this challenge and has introduced the Go!SCAN 3D scanner as an addition to its line-up of Handyscan 3DTM and MetraSCAN 3DTM portable scanners. Go!SCAN 3D is a nimble 1.1 kg point-and-shoot device that allows users to move the part during scanning, removing the need for a rigid set up. According to Creaform, the accuracy is up to 0.1 mm and the company is targeting a new audience with the “affordable” price point. The previous line-up is typically priced around $30,000-$100,000 mark, so it will be interesting to see where this new product sits in comparison.
“The Go!SCAN 3D comes from our willingness to further expand our reach and make 3D scanning accessible to a much larger group of companies and individuals,” said Daniel Brown, Product Manager of Creaform. “We wanted to provide a scanning experience that combined incredibly quick results with real user-friendliness, at a very interesting price point. Thanks to these features and along with its reliable data, we believe that the Go!SCAN will really open up tremendous possibilities for scanning in a wide array of industries.”
Earlier on this year the company was involved in helping the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to get the Autralian Olympic Kayak Team fitted into their new sporting vessels by scanning their bodies and creating an accurate seating for their kayaks. This “handheld buttocks scan” operation, as funny as it sounds, shows that the applications of 3D scanning are as limitless as for the 3D printing processes that can produce phyical models of the 3D data. And once the price-point for quality 3D scanners get closer to affordable 3D printers, we can expect to see much more widespread adoption.
