How 3D Scanners Have Changed the World of Information
3D scan services is something that has come a long way in recent years. Having the ability to scan 3D objects or to be able to make 2D images into 3D images on the computer has really boosted many different industries that use this technology. It has made it much easier to be able to see the entirety of an object without having to take it apart. NDT testing, industrial x-ray inspection and other industries all make great use of 3D scan services.
A 3D scanner analyses the object or even the environment in order to collect certain information and data about the shape, color, size and other appearance information. The data that is collected from the image is used to build 3D models on a computer program. It’s not a cheap endeavor, so each industry comes with it’s only budget limitations and pros and cons. The 3D scan services purpose is to create geometric samples in points all over the object. These points are used to determine and reconstruct the shape of the same object. A 3D scanner is much like a camera; they have a field of view and collect information about the surface of the object that is not obstructed. However, the difference comes when collecting color information. A camera will collect color data whereas a 3D scanner will collect distance information in order to allow the three dimensional site of each point of the picture to be taken into account. Multiple scans will be required of an object in order to get a correct and accurate representation of the object.
Contact Scanners
These type of 3D scanners actually touch the subject while on a flat surface. It is a very precise technology and is typically used in manufacturing in order to get correct measurements. The fact that it actually have to have physical contact can result in modifications or damage to the object especially if the object is fragile or delicate. As well, the contact scanner is quite a bit slower than other types. The arm on a contact scanner must be moved physically and the fastest known contact scanner functions at around 200 hertz. Compared to an laser scanner than can operate at speeds up to 500 hertz, this is pretty slow.
Active Scanners
Also, known as non contact scanners, these let off a certain amount of radiation or light in order to pass through the object to find out the information it needs. This could be anything from light to ultrasound or x-ray. Laser scanners are known as active scanner. They use a laser to probe the object and find the distance of the surface verses the round trip time of the laser around the object. The speed of light is a known measurement so this can be used to measure the time it takes for the light to get around the object. The advantage of these types of scanners are that they are able to capture and measure over a matter of long distances, even kilometers wide. This is how large buildings and geographical features can be scanned. On the other hand, however, because the light is moving so fast, timing the scan can be difficult and the accuracy of the measurement are fairly low at times.
While there are many different kinds of 3D scan services, these two scanners are the most popular types of scanners used. They can pretty much cover any object that needs to be scanned. These scanners are used in so many different industries such as civil engineering during the design process, for entertainment, reverse engineering, to scan cultural heritage artifacts from history or art, in the medical field, metrology and even more. It’s become a well known piece of technology that almost everyone can take advantage of in some form or another. It’s a great way to measure and study objects but it is always used to test objects and see inside them and make sure everything in functioning properly. There are many uses that 3D scanners are good for, not just making 3D object and seeing them but they hold quite a prominent place in our studies of different elements.
