This weekend at the 3D Show in Warsaw, the Polish-based 3D scanner company SMARTTECH will be showcasing their new feat in optimal 3D scanning. Their 3D Show display, the SMARTTECH3D Robotized, is a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) created by combining both 3D scanning technology and robotics into one mechanism.
The Robotized was created to completely nullify human error when undertaking a 3D scan. To build it, the team connected a 3D scanning head to a robotic arm and placed it within an enclosed box. This means that the only job of the human user is to place the object on the rotary platform and turn on the machine. From there, the robotic arm glides across the object, emitting sporadic beams of light as it scans the exact positions of the object underneath it.
Once the robotic arm is finished scanning the shape and position of the object, a CAD model is procured for quality inspection and comparing scan data, which is also fully automated by the SMARTTECH Robotized. An internally developed plug-in directly links to GEOMAGIC Control 3D scanning software (with a time-unlimited license, as a matter of fact), furthering the error-free and intuitive process only able to be attained by automated machinery. The results of the robotic arm scans can, thus, be utilized for CAD modeling in an extremely quick and precise manner.
Creating a CMM machine that requires almost no human contact or mental strain, SMARTTECH3D’s Robotized will make it much easier to inspect and control the entirety of the desired object being 3D scanned. The Robotized does not need any specially-made environment to function properly, thanks to its shock absorption system and built-in air conditioning. Nor does the 3D scanner have to remain in one place during its existence, with a wheel station that makes the Robotized portable for its size. The certified 3D scanning head that is connected to the robotic arm ensures detailed accuracy within the measurement volume of 300 x 400.
I don’t think SMARTTECH’s fully automated 3D scanner is by any means trying to make us humans ‘irrelevant’ in the 3D process either, although it does prove that having more adept scanning systems may mean minimizing our involvement in the process. Rather, I feel that the Robotized is a major step in upgrading our capability to obtain flawless 3D scans of any complexly shaped object. While the automated system takes care of the quality control and 3D scan data, SMARTTECH3D Robotized owners will simply be able to sit back and enjoy the scan.
