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Businesses eye IRL’s 3D scanner
There is little doubt that 3D imagery is the way of the future, a fact borne out not only by the blockbuster successes of recent 3D movies, but also by the keen marketplace interest in the latest trials of IRL’s 3D scanning technology.
The most recent developments to the IRL Scene-scanner mean it now has the potential to fill a significant gap in 3D scanner technology worldwide, according to IRL project leader Dr Robert Valkenburg.
“Now that we can perform mobile photo-realistic scanning of complex or cluttered scenes over a 2m to 40m range, we are targeting structures that are difficult to scan by other means - for example retrofits within the marine, aviation and baggage handling industries, where there are many obstacles and downtime is prohibitively expensive.”
IRL’s hand-held scanner records 3D images in real time. The operator works much like a spray painter, progressively covering the scene and recording the 3D data as a computer file which can be processed for photo-realistic fly-throughs, scene re-examinations, measurement and digital manipulation.
This can prove invaluable in areas such as on-line merchandising, as-built engineering surveying, heritage and archaeology recording, artistic modelling, computer games, accident and crime scene recording – in fact, anywhere that a real-life record is needed.
Potential end-user clients such as Glidepath Group, Integrated Marine Group and Altitude Aerospace Interiors are anticipating that the data emanating from these new trials, made possible by additional funding from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, will be converted into a useful format for their application areas.
For Alex Tung, engineering manager with baggage handling company Glidepath Group, says
“With digital images like this we would be able to precisely engineer the equipment on site, which cuts down significantly on rework. We have projects in almost 70 overseas countries, so time is very precious - we want to minimise site time and keep costs down.
“We envisage Scene-scanner to be compact enough to be packed into a suitcase and taken to the site by one of our managers or engineers. This will allow us to take everything back that we see and makes Scene-scanner a very powerful tool.”
Mark Wightman, managing director of superyacht refitting company Integrated Marine Group, sees Scene-scanner as a valuable device for streamlining their refitting processes.
“Invariably, the vessel will not have all the drawings that we require, or the as-built vessel varies from the drawings, so to have a tool that can quickly draw complex shapes in relatively confined spaces will create significant efficiencies in so many aspects of our work.”
With its key attributes of speed, mobility, photo-realism and non-invasiveness, IRL’s 3D scanner is unique and offers innovative opportunities in 3D content creation, says Dr Valkenburg.
“Once the trials are completed, we anticipate significant interest from investors and manufacturers keen to commercialise this technology in the global market.”
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