I have been lucky to know Michael Raphael, the founder of Direct Dimensions and important innovator in the field of 3D laser scanning for the past ten plus years. His firm has one of the most diverse track records and client lists in the business. If it needs to be documented in 3D, Direct Dimensions will get it done with the highest quality.
Michael Raphael – Founder of Direct Dimensions
Michael Raphael was the first 3D Industry Pioneer article that we featured in the early print magazine days of Lidar News. Before that Michael had been an early supporter of the In the Scan blog which now has some 3,500 blog posts in our database.
Michael began his career working for Martin Marietta as a Liason Engineer where he was responsible for solving manufacturing problems on large projects the Patriot missile program and the Titan launch vehicle.
That experience led him to a position in Quality Engineering where he started to work with the early 3D CAD systems and coordinate metrology tools such as CMM’s and photogrammetry. Michael began working with a small consulting firm that had a unique 3D measurement tool for medical applications. Two years later, in 1991 with the input and guidance from Michael FARO released the first FARO arm and the rest, as they say is history.
In 1995 Michael founded Direct Dimensions, bought a FARO arm and began his incredible journey. Direct Dimensions has scanned the Liberty Bell, the Iwo Jima Memorial, sculptures in the Smithsonian, projects for Hollywood – the list is a long one and growing all the time. Lately he tells me he has been working more in building documentation.
Michael will be the keynote speaker at this year’s CMSC conference. For the entire Industry Pioneer article click here.
For more information on Direct Dimensions click here.
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Congrats Michael!
Great article Gene. I would like to add that if you do not know Michael, you need to. I was fortunate enough to have been introduced to Michael in 2008 by a good friend. He and his firm Direct Dimensions are an incredible resource. Over the years my firm ARC has partnered with and competed against his firm. I can attest to his expertise and extensive industry experience. He was also a key participant in the USIBD’s scanner shoot out processing and comparing the vast number of data sets collected. Beyond that, he has become a very good friend and he is just an all around good guy. I can honestly say there is no one else like him. He is definitely an Industry Pioneer!
Thanks John and also of course Gene for all your amazing support over the years. Besides the super cool technology we all get to play with everyday, perhaps the best part of our little 3D scanning industry is the great people we get to work with along the way. No question Gene and John are some of the best.