So 3D printing has really taken off and has proved to be useful for making
everything from spoons to medical devices to even super cool Linus action
figures. But there's another side to this three-dimensional coin, so to
speak, that will make sense to anyone that's ever bought one of those clunky
office printer copier things. And I'm talking, of course, about 3D scanning,
which is exactly what it sounds like. the process of scanning
three-dimensional objects or models into a computer. Now, you can probably guess
that it's a little more complicated than your old flatbed scanner, but the
general principle of operation is actually fairly similar. The scanner
takes many samples of whatever it's looking at and stitches them together to
spit out a coherent image, or in this case, a 3D model. Also, somewhat
similarly to regular 2D paper scanners, many 3D scanners use light in some way,
such as with laser scanners, which can acquire the shape of an object by
firing, you guessed it, freaking laser beams, at their targets. But instead of
burning and eating them, some laser scanners capture shapes by calculating
how long it takes for the laser beam to leave the scanner, hit the object, and
reflect back to the scanner. Others use lasers in conjunction with a camera to
figure out the laser mark's exact location, which the scanner uses to
construct an image. But not all light-based scanners use laser beams.
For example, you might have one 3D scanner on top of your TV right now. I'm
talking about the Connect for Xbox, which shines infrared light, invisible
to the eye, on your body while you're playing Just Dance or whatever. Then it
uses a small infrared camera to determine your body's position and
whether the club just can't even handle your moves right now. There's also
something called structured light scanning which can use plain white or
blue light, not lasers by the way, fired at the object in thin lines to figure
out the shape based on the distortion of the lines from other viewing angles.
However, light-based 3D scanning has its
limits. Remember optical mice? bulbs still have them. But you know, optical
mice, they have a hard time tracking on glass or shiny surfaces. And 3D scanners
that use light can have issues scanning objects that are transparent or made of
highly reflective material. In these situations, it's often better to use a
contact scanner. These scanners actually touch whatever it whatever it is that
you're trying to scan in order to figure out what it get get off to figure out
what it looks like using different kinds of probes attached to either hinges or
joints that can send a position back to the computer to generate a super precise
image of an object's surface. But how is
all this technology put to use? Well, when combined with a 3D printer, you're
basically one step away from your own Star Trek replicator, complete with
datab banks full of all your favorite 3D foods. But thanks to the imaginations of
people, there's a lot of uses Gene Rodenbury didn't think of. Video game
developers are using 3D scanning to capture accurate models to be used in
their games instead of designing them from scratch. Doctors and dentists use
them to fit orthodontics. And historians are using 3D scanning to preserve and
document old artifacts, statues, and even buildings. Also, a huge amount of
mechanical parts used in industry are 3D
scanned to verify the quality and structural integrity. So, there's
actually a decent chance that your car was scanned at the factory to make sure
the engine won't explode. And on the subject of explosion, doesn't shopping
for clothes just make your head want to explode? Personally, I hate it. Try this
on. Oh, no. Try this one. That looks good. That doesn't. I don't know. I just
Isn't there an easy way to just do this online so I don't have to deal with the hassle of crowds and malls? Yes, there
is. Jack Threads. They've got a curated selection of brands, both known and
diamond in the roughy unknown. Most of the stuff I have here is known brands. I
think Next Level, uh, Oakley and Under Armour. Um, and they've got plenty of
summer styles available like short sleeve shirts in prints, summer
sneakers, and board shorts. It's a great value so you can get the most bang for
your buck on the things that you love and need. Not to say that I guess you
really need clothes. I mean, you guys can't even prove that I'm wearing pants,
for example, in these videos. We always shoot me from here down. In fact, today
I'm not wearing pants because I'm wearing
shorts, which strictly speaking are short pants. But the point is, you can
get an additional 20% off by visiting jackfreads.com/techquicky, which is
linked in the video description, and entering coupon code techquicky at
checkout. Don't buy what everyone else has. Skip the mall and shop Jackthreads.
You can even shop on their iOS and Android apps if you want to shop where
you want, when you want. So, I guess that's pretty much it, guys. Like the
video if you liked it. Dislike it if you thought it sucked. Leave a comment. If you have suggestions for future fast as
possible and if you're looking for something else to watch right now, check out the Linus Tech Tips channel where we
recently did a painting tutorial for your computer monitor. Espeno good. Go
watch. Thanks for watching and as always, don't forget to subscribe.