Seikowave, with headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, has released a $2,000 structured light scanner, the iCπ (‘eye-spy’) that meets or exceeds specifications of similar scanners sold at ten times its price, the company claims. The iCπ captures images in 600ms with a resolution of 500µm at a working distance of two to three feet, depending on optics, and captures motion at 30fps.
By using Seikowave Portfolio software (included with the scanner) multiple images can be stitched together easily in minutes to create a 360º image of any object. Those images can be exported as .ply, .obj, and .stl files ready for 3D printing or editing in Solidworks, Maya, Rapidform, Meshlab and many other 3D editing software packages.
By projecting dual patterns of lines on an object and observing with a camera how those lines deform over time and comparing that to a known pattern, the iCπ calculates depth for each xy coordinate to arrive at a unique 3D coordinate. This method of 3D imaging is called structured light, and is fast enough to capture motion yet accurate enough to produce highly detailed, dense point clouds.
Quick and accurate imaging of objects for machine vision, reverse engineering, animation, precision model building, object creation, or for 3D printing, the iCπ is an ideal low cost way to use 3D. The iCπ can be used as a metrology-grade measurement device or as an integral component in any number of vision applications.
The scanner, consisting of a USB camera, a DLP light engine, precision optics, control electronics and software, measures 8.7 x 3.1 x 1.4 inches, and connects to a Windows-based computer through a USB connector. In addition to the iCπ, Seikowave has developed structured light scanners to meet the specific needs of the industrial, medical, dental, and oil and gas industries.
