While Euromold was literally filled with photogrammetric 3D scanning booths, to the point where it appeared clear that this is the year of photogrammetry, it was somewhat peculiar that the company that somehow “started it all”, Twinkind, was not present. Even more so, since the photogrammetric 3D studio is based right in Berlin. One of the possible reasons for their absence became clear shortly thereafter: their newest product, the Specular 3D scanning booth, is going to be released within a couple of months from now (the exact date has not been set yet) and it may not have been ready for the show. It does, however intend to answer one of the biggest challenges in photogrammetric 3D scanning: that of (trans)portability.
“Our system is very mobile and relatively light-weight compared to anything else on the market,” Twinkind CEO Timo Schaedel told me. “Also it has been built for lower space consumption, which makes it much easier to integrate in many different scenarios and situations.”
One of the major differences that Specular is going to introduce is the custom camera array architecture. Instead of off-the-shelf hardware being implemented into a custom structure, Twinkind is developing its own. “We are working on taking the concept two steps further, after we have started the big photogrammetry wave in 2013 with our 100x canons ‘industry standard’, which has been seen as a proof-of-concept by many in the industry.”
In fact, back in 2013, there were already a few spot projects using photogrammetric rigs for physical photography studios, but none has yet emerged with a solution that is an ideal combination with 3D printing and could successfully be scaled up. The quality of Twinkind’s 3D scans and 3D prints emerged through the unique images featured on the company’s website.
According to Timo Schaedel, the new 3D scan results are going to be much more accurate, detailed, and sharp than anything that can be acquired through Raspberry Pis or 60 Canon SLR cameras. Perhaps more importantly, Timo also promised that the new system is going to be almost post production-free. In the past, they have always come through; this time, the Specular might be a small step for a 3D scanner but a giant leap for Twinkind.
