3D Scanning as Fast As Possible
Techquickie
·Techquickie
·2016-05-06
·
986 words · ~4 min read
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So 3D printing has really taken off and has proved to be useful for making
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everything from spoons to medical devices to even super cool Linus action
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figures. But there's another side to this three-dimensional coin, so to
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speak, that will make sense to anyone that's ever bought one of those clunky
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office printer copier things. And I'm talking, of course, about 3D scanning,
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which is exactly what it sounds like. the process of scanning
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three-dimensional objects or models into a computer. Now, you can probably guess
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that it's a little more complicated than your old flatbed scanner, but the
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general principle of operation is actually fairly similar. The scanner
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takes many samples of whatever it's looking at and stitches them together to
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spit out a coherent image, or in this case, a 3D model. Also, somewhat
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similarly to regular 2D paper scanners, many 3D scanners use light in some way,
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such as with laser scanners, which can acquire the shape of an object by
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firing, you guessed it, freaking laser beams, at their targets. But instead of
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burning and eating them, some laser scanners capture shapes by calculating
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how long it takes for the laser beam to leave the scanner, hit the object, and
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reflect back to the scanner. Others use lasers in conjunction with a camera to
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figure out the laser mark's exact location, which the scanner uses to
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construct an image. But not all light-based scanners use laser beams.
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For example, you might have one 3D scanner on top of your TV right now. I'm
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talking about the Connect for Xbox, which shines infrared light, invisible
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to the eye, on your body while you're playing Just Dance or whatever. Then it
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uses a small infrared camera to determine your body's position and
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whether the club just can't even handle your moves right now. There's also
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something called structured light scanning which can use plain white or
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blue light, not lasers by the way, fired at the object in thin lines to figure
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out the shape based on the distortion of the lines from other viewing angles.
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However, light-based 3D scanning has its
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limits. Remember optical mice? bulbs still have them. But you know, optical
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mice, they have a hard time tracking on glass or shiny surfaces. And 3D scanners
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that use light can have issues scanning objects that are transparent or made of
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highly reflective material. In these situations, it's often better to use a
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contact scanner. These scanners actually touch whatever it whatever it is that
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you're trying to scan in order to figure out what it get get off to figure out
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what it looks like using different kinds of probes attached to either hinges or
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joints that can send a position back to the computer to generate a super precise
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image of an object's surface. But how is
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all this technology put to use? Well, when combined with a 3D printer, you're
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basically one step away from your own Star Trek replicator, complete with
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datab banks full of all your favorite 3D foods. But thanks to the imaginations of
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people, there's a lot of uses Gene Rodenbury didn't think of. Video game
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developers are using 3D scanning to capture accurate models to be used in
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their games instead of designing them from scratch. Doctors and dentists use
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them to fit orthodontics. And historians are using 3D scanning to preserve and
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document old artifacts, statues, and even buildings. Also, a huge amount of
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mechanical parts used in industry are 3D
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scanned to verify the quality and structural integrity. So, there's
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actually a decent chance that your car was scanned at the factory to make sure
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the engine won't explode. And on the subject of explosion, doesn't shopping
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for clothes just make your head want to explode? Personally, I hate it. Try this
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on. Oh, no. Try this one. That looks good. That doesn't. I don't know. I just
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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
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is. Jack Threads. They've got a curated selection of brands, both known and
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diamond in the roughy unknown. Most of the stuff I have here is known brands. I
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think Next Level, uh, Oakley and Under Armour. Um, and they've got plenty of
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summer styles available like short sleeve shirts in prints, summer
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sneakers, and board shorts. It's a great value so you can get the most bang for
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your buck on the things that you love and need. Not to say that I guess you
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really need clothes. I mean, you guys can't even prove that I'm wearing pants,
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for example, in these videos. We always shoot me from here down. In fact, today
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I'm not wearing pants because I'm wearing
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shorts, which strictly speaking are short pants. But the point is, you can
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get an additional 20% off by visiting jackfreads.com/techquicky, which is
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linked in the video description, and entering coupon code techquicky at
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checkout. Don't buy what everyone else has. Skip the mall and shop Jackthreads.
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You can even shop on their iOS and Android apps if you want to shop where
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you want, when you want. So, I guess that's pretty much it, guys. Like the
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video if you liked it. Dislike it if you thought it sucked. Leave a comment. If you have suggestions for future fast as
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possible and if you're looking for something else to watch right now, check out the Linus Tech Tips channel where we
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recently did a painting tutorial for your computer monitor. Espeno good. Go
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watch. Thanks for watching and as always, don't forget to subscribe.