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An international team of researchers is developing a new technique for 3D measurement using a 3D scanner
3D scanners could be coming soon robotic arms be attached. This idea, which an international team of researchers presented to the public in December 2014, seems downright futuristic. Even survey objects with more complex geometry could then be transformed into high-quality 3D models much more easily than before.
In this particular form of mobile 3D scanning, the 3D scanner is mounted on one arm of the PR2 robot, which moves it around the 3D scan object, while the second robotic arm holds a rotating plate on which the 3D model stands. As with all 3D surveys, the 3D scan with this new method begins with a All-round scan of the object, creating a first point cloud is produced. This preliminary point cloud serves to avoid collisions between the 3D scanner and the measurement object by roughly measuring large parts of the surface of the 3D model. In the next phase of the 3D scanning process, this data is then used to determine the optimal new 3D scan positions for the actual 3D measurement. These measurement positions are called NBV (=Next Best Views). At the same time, this new algorithm reliably sorts areas of lower measurement quality in order to carry out further 3D scans there with pinpoint accuracy until a uniform measurement quality is achieved at all surface points at the end of the 3D measurement. Especially in comparison with other NBV-based approaches of 3D object measurement, the robot-based approach turned out to be clearly superior in the test procedures carried out.
3D scanner with particularly low data volume
Another positive effect of robotic 3D scanning is that with this method, compared to conventional 3D measuring methods, only a fraction of the recordings are necessary, with the result that by far smaller amounts of data need to be processed. This means that the 3D models are not only much more precise, but can also be created and processed much more quickly. Therefore, robotic 3D measurement can help industrial users to increase their productivity.
This new 3D scanning technology was tested by scientists and engineers from the Visual Computing Research Center of the Shenzhen Academy of Sciences (China), Tel-Aviv University, Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada), Shandong University (China) and the University of Konstanz. The prerequisite was hardware and software specially developed for this purpose.
However, it is currently difficult to estimate when 3D object measurement using a robotic arm will be ready for use.
3D Activation as a professional 3D scan service provider has set itself the goal of enabling you to take 3D measurements using the latest 3D scan technology. You can read more about our 3D scanning service and the other 3D printing services from 3D Activation here.
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