Moedls is a new, consumer-friendly mobile laser scanner that processes data via a smartphone. According to the company’s website, the official launch is still a few weeks off, but the product has been highlighted as one of 10 semi-finalists in Engadget’s Insert Coin Awards. Voting will close imminently for these 10 and five finalists will be announced tomorrow (1st March).
Moedls is intended to offer a low-cost, mobile scanning application on a smart phone (currently iOS or Android) that is compatible with a line laser to capture data from the part being scanned on a rotating platform. The app captures a point cloud of data, which can then be exported to 3D software for further work, including reverse engineering, adaptation or modification and 3D printing.
Moedls is the brain child of John Fehr, who conceived the project to save some of his daughter’s physical sculptures in digital form. The combination of parts — the app, the laser and the rotating platform are all included in the Moedls offering, which will reportedly retail around the $300 mark.
The video demonstrates Moedls in action, using an iPhone 3GS.
If successful, this 3D scanning tool could open up a whole new paradigm for makers and consumers that to date have found the economic barriers way to high.
Source: Engadget & Moedls
I’d kinda like to have the plans. The arm as a printable STL, the platform as a DWG or something, motor specs….I’d much rather make this than buy it.
First, a minor suggestion. Put some sort of target on the turn table, to enable the user to note the start and stop of the scan.
To me, the biggest test of a program like this, is how the program handles the parts it can’t see with a single scan. This program doesn’t seem to support any method to fix the areas it missed.
One approach might be to support two colors of laser. A red laser could point from one side, and a green laser from the other side. But, even then, there will be problem areas, such as the top of the head in the video. (he just put it out of frame, knowing it would be useless to even try to include that area)
The final solution has to involve stitching multiple scans. In the instance of the sculpture in the video, perhaps another scan should be done by placing the head its side. Then you get a good scan of the top of the head, and perhaps other areas as well. But, you are still in need of software that can put the two together. The David Laser Scanner sofware, at 330 Euros, is the only lowest cost software I know of that can perform the stitching, It does similar things as the system in this article. But, rather than require a turn table, it makes use of its ability to stitch multiple scans. Still too high a price for me to play with it. But, they do offer a free version without the ability to stitch scans.
Can anyone else recommend very low cost software that can stitch scans, and generate a reasonable mesh?