Chinese 3D printer manufacturer Creality has announced the launch of a cost-effective yet highly-capable new 3D scanner.
Known as the ‘CR-Scan 01,’ Creality’s latest entry into the scanning market is easy-to-use but features high-end specifications, and is able to capture details down to 0.1mm in size. Thanks to its adjustable modes, multi-pose alignment and enhanced scanning width, the system ultimately allows designers to recreate anything from small items to furniture, with impressive simplicity, affordability and precision.
Accessible, efficient 3D scanning
According to Creality, the increasing popularity of VR and AR technologies has created a rising demand for scanners that are easy to operate, yet capable of capturing the data needed for producing quality models. To address this perceived demand, the company says that it has developed a new UI to make the CR-Scan 01 so user-friendly, that it’s “as simple as a fully-automatic washing machine.”
In practise, this means that the device features automatic matching, so users can simply ‘power on and scan,’ without having to calibrate and mark target objects. The CR-Scan 01 is also operable in both handheld and turntable modes, thus it provides users with the flexibility to adjust their approach, depending on the scale of the object they’re scanning.
When capturing large items, Creality says that its system is capable of scanning up to 1.5 times wider than traditional devices, while doing so in a “faster and smoother” way, and without sacrificing image quality either, thanks to its 24-bit color restoration and light-filtering functionalities, which allow users to continue working, even in poorly-lit areas.
Finally, once adopters have finished scanning with the CR-Scan 01, its accompanying processing program enables them to carry out complex model editing with ease. In fact, many of the software’s features are actually automatic, and it’s capable of conducting fill and color repair, substrate recognition and smooth denoising on its own, with users later able to perform mesh simplification if they so desire.
Those thinking of acquiring Creality’s latest scanner can choose from either the ‘standard’ or ‘upgraded’ model. While both versions include the base unit, complete with flash lamp, depth sensors and projector, the premium package comes with a turntable and tripod, making it better-suited to any advanced users seeking to get the most out of their machine.
The CR-Scan 01 in-action
To demonstrate the results it’s possible to achieve using the automatic alignment algorithm installed on its latest scanner, Creality has captured a range of objects and uploaded its workflows to Youtube. Initially, the firm’s engineers chose to scan a table tennis bat and tumbler on the CR-Scan 01’s turntable, finding that it was easy to preview their models before exporting them into slicing software.
Once there, the team were able to tweak the infill density of their designs, providing the latter with an empty ‘head’ and round base, enabling it to wobble about as a trinket should. After the company had broken away any support materials and painted their ornament, they found the two objects to be suitably accurate, functional and mildly entertaining.
As a final showcase of their device’s capabilities, Creality’s team later scanned a full-sized chair, and deployed a HALOT-ONE system to 3D print it into a tiny version for a doll’s house. Thanks to the CR-Scan 01’s precision matching algorithm, which is based on both color and structural features, the resulting furniture proved to be an accurate replica, with matching details down to a resolution of just 0.5mm.
Technical specifications and pricing
Below are the technical specifications for the CR-Scan 01. The scanner is available to order now via the Creality store page, with prices starting at $579 for the standard version, and $639 for the upgraded model.
| Scanner Size | 28 x 12 x 5.5cm |
| Accuracy | 0.1mm |
| Resolution | 0.5mm |
| Scanning Distance | 400-900mm |
| Max Scanning Range | 0.3-0.2 m |
| Frame Rate | 10 fps |
| Scanning Area | 536 x 378 mm |
| Output Format | obj, stl file |
| Working Temperature | 0-40°C (no condensation) |
| Operating Requirements | Windows 10 64-bit, 2.0 Ghz CPU, |
| 8GB memory, USB 3.0 support |
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Featured image shows a graphic depicting Creality’s CR-Scan 01 ‘scanning’ the Earth. Image via Creality.
