Posted by Robert Kiser on Mon, Feb 16, 2009 @ 09:47 PM
Laser Scanning is a non-contact technology that digitally captures the shape of physical objects using laser light. A laser probe projects a line of laser light onto a surface while cameras continuously triangulate the changing distance and shape of the laser line as it sweeps along, digitizing the object in three dimensions (see below for more information about laser triangulation).
Laser triangulation is an active stereoscopic measurement technique that computes the distance of an object with a directional light source and a video camera. A laser beam is deflected from a mirror onto a scanning object. The object scatters the light, which is then collected by a video camera located at a known triangulation distance from the laser so that the 3D spatial coordinates of a surface point or line are calculated. The CCD camera’s 2D array captures the surface profile’s image and digitizes all data points along the laser and can be seen here:
Overview of 3D Laser Scanning, Dimensional Inspection & Long Range Scanning
Rapid prototyping steps in when the scanned output data is saved as a stereolithography file solid CAD file. This file can then be created into a physical 3D model for analysis via use of rapid prototype 3D printing technology.
