3D scanners are used across a wide range of industries and applications due to their ability to capture the physical dimensions of objects and environments quickly and accurately, enabling their digitization with complex geometry and rich textures in high resolution. 3D scanning has been used in manufacturing auto parts, healthcare, and rocketry, but its adoption rate has been slowed by the steep learning curve for professional 3D scanning technologies. This article reveals how advances in AI is simplifying the learning curve for 3D scanning technologies, making the processes as simple as taking a video.
From an article in Nasdaq by Lenore Elle Hawkins.
Laser pulse scanning is also known as Time of Flight (ToF) or Lidar (in newer iPhones). The laser beam is projected onto a surface and recollected by a sensor. The time of travel of the laser between its emission and reception gives the surface’s distance and geometrical information to the 3D scanner. Each measure collects only one point, so the scanner must cast its laser 360 degrees around the point, usually done with a mirror that changes the laser’s orientation. The advantage of this technology is its ability to scan very large objects and environments, but it is relatively slow, given its single-point nature.
Photogrammetry, also called “3D scans from photographs,” is considered a passive form of 3D scanning as it reconstructs a subject in 3D from 2D captured photos, using computer vision and computational geometry algorithms. This type of scanning is gaining traction because it doesn’t require special hardware and can be run using just a smartphone. The idea here is to combine information from a range of photographs of a subject, taken from varying angles. The advantages of this technology are the speed at which scans can be completed, and the ability to capture colors and textures. This technology is particularly useful for large-scale scans, such as landscapes or large structures. The challenge is that the quality of the scan is dependent on the images captured, and given the enormous amount of data, it can be relatively slow depending on the hardware and software being used.
AI & 3D Tailwinds
Artificial Intelligence (AI) advances are expanding the capabilities and improving the ease of use for 3D scanning. AI can help align and merge multiple scans from different angles or sources to create a coherent and consistent digital model. It can also help classify and categorize scanned objects based on user-defined parameters such as shape or color, which could reduce the manual effort required to refine a model.
For the complete article on how AI is simplifying the use of 3D laser scanning CLICK HERE.
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