3D Scanning

GM has been working hard to close the competitive gap between them and other car manufacturers, which is why it has turned to 3D scanning of competitor vehicles so they can learn as much about the automobiles as possible. They want to know what makes a Mercedes what it is or what makes a Chrysler what it is. To do this, they run the rival designs through computers and they analyze them.

What is surprising is that this is not a practice that GM just started doing. In fact, they have performed 3D scanning of competitor models for over 10 years. What the practice does is turn 3D objects (cars, trucks, and SUVs) into data on a computer screen. They don’t always do this for reverse engineering or benchmarking, but to turn a clay model into mathematical data. With the more widespread usage of 3D printing, this mapping of competitor designs could result in the engineers at GM being able to easily and quickly upgrade their vehicles.

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Technology has come to the rescue yet again. Thanks to 3D scanning, scientists will now be able to track the damage that has been done by both nature and vandals to the Moai statues on Easier Island. Back in 2008, a tourist defaced one of the statues by removing an ear lobe from it. Thankfully, damage from people is minimal and rarely occurs. However, damage from natural events is quite common and poses a much greater threat to this world heritage site.

Beginning in 2007, a HafenCity University Hamburg team began cataloging all of the statues using 3D scanning tech. The project was slated to last for five years and would make it possible for scientists to keep track of damage and assess future threats by creating an accurate baseline analysis to compare to. This also makes it possible to keep track of damage caused by erosion.

Now, here comes the tricky part: it’s illegal to touch the statues. So, non-contact laser scanning was used to fully capture all of the required data without resorting to breaking any laws. During the five-year project, researchers scanned 11 sites and 46 individual Moai statues. All of the collected data was processed through the 3D Systems’ Geomagic Studio software. This produced highly detailed scans from which scientists can now make accurate assessments as to the condition of the statues.

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It has been difficult to capture the complex interior of the Leaning Tower of Pisa due to technological limitations. Until now, that is. Thanks to 3D scanning, detailed measurements of the interior architecture have now been recorded, allowing for the preservation of this data for the first time in history.

The tech was developed by CSIRO, which is Australia’s national science agency. The device itself is called the Zebedee and it’s a handheld mapping system that uses a 3D laser scanner that has flexibility thanks to a spring. This device can capture millions of measurements just as the operator walks through a space. This revolutionizes the ability to capture information about three-dimensional spaces. And it works by running this data through software that can turn the laser data points into a three dimensional map.

Previously, the very narrow staircases and intricate architectural passageways made it impossible for mapping technology to function inside. The equipment just wouldn’t fit. A handheld device is the way to go, however, allowing researchers to use 3D scanning to capture a 3D map of the whole building for the first time.

Normally, this kind of detail would take weeks, if not months to capture. The level of accuracy that this device has been able to produce in just a couple of hours, however, is astounding and definitely worth noting. During this project, the scientists of CSIRO were able to use the Zebedee device to scan the whole interior of the Tower within 20 minutes! Yes, you read that correctly. And the scan included precise and minute details of things like the stairs and notches in stone.

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