3D Scanning Technologies Blog

• Acquisition of 100 percent of the shares
• Expansion into rapidly growing 3D scanning markets such as 3D printing
• Access to fast 3D visualization and mesh processing algorithms
• Addition of FlexScan3D PC software as future platform for 2D and 3D image processing

VANCOUVER, CANADA, May 1, 2013 -- LMI Technologies Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the shares of 3D3 Solutions (“3D3”, www.3d3solutions.com) – a leading supplier of 3D scanning software and hardware products based in Burnaby, Canada. The takeover deal will result in the integration of 3D3 by LMI Technologies under the LMI brand to create a powerhouse in 3D scanning, visualization, and measurement solutions for both inline factory automation and offline 3D scanning markets such as reverse engineering and 3D printing.

Interactive Photo Imaging is an interactive textbook for students of photography and interactive media published by Moshe Caine from the Hadassah Academic College Jerusalem. It provides a comprehensive yet simple overview of the transition of the digital photographic and imaging technologies from a passive medium to one where the creator and user alike may interact with the visual content and extract a richer comprehension of the content and context.

With Easter coming up, our team continued the tradition of scanning holiday objects into 3D models. Last year we scanned a pumpkin for Halloween and Christmas tree ornaments for the Holidays. For Easter and in celebration of spring, we scanned an art piece that included two sock dolls (a cat and a bunny) placed on a piece of wood.

In February, an independent study was published in the IEEE Sensors Journal titled "An Automatic Evaluation Procedure for 3-D Scanners in Robotics Application". The IEEE Sensors Journal is a peer-reviewed, monthly online, bimonthly print journal devoted to sensors and sensing phenomena. A non-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest professional association for the advancement of technology.

This week’s blog post is contributed by 3D3 Solutions’ distributor in India, Aman Bir Singh, from Rasco Automotive Systems Private Limited

In the past, capturing hair was an exercise in futility. For a head scan, the facial features would look great, but the person's hair would barely be visible or it would not show up at all. Scanning hair can be a challenge for many types of 3D scanners including structured-light systems. Hair consists of very fine and partially translucent filaments which scatter the light and are often interpreted as noise during 3D reconstruction. As a result, these areas are usually removed from typical scan data. With the release of the latest version of FlexScan3D software (version 3.1.7) that powers the HDI 3D Scanners, we introduced a new High Sensitivity mode to address this shortcoming.

As we welcome the start of 2013, here are some 3D scanning technology trends we saw in 2012 that will continue into the 2013 year.

With the launch of KScan3D in August, there is a low cost option for people to create innovative 3D scanning projects as the technology becomes more affordable. With KScan3D, Kinect hardware, and a PC or Mac running Windows OS, users can capture 3D scans with a click of a button. Here are a few KScan3D customers that use the 3D scanning software for innovative applications:

As we approach the end of the year 2012, we want to wish you and your family happy holidays and a great start to the new year in 2013!

PHOTO: Digital artifact produced by the HDI Advance 3D Scanner (Video of the 3D model in 360 degrees)

Sustainable Archaeology, and its Sustainable Archaeology Animation Unit (SAAU), has taken innovative steps to make Ontario’s archaeological records accessible to researchers, students, and the public without stepping into a museum or storage facility. Sustainable Archaeology is a research initiative at Western University funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. The SAAU, the first animation studio dedicated to archaeology, was established as a joint collaboration between Sustainable Archaeology, the Museum of Ontario Archaeology, and theskonkworks Inc. Its mandate is to combine three-dimensional (3D) artifact digitization and computer generated imagery (CGI) to achieve the long term preservation and digital archiving of Ontario’s archaeological heritage. The Animation Unit received funding from the Ontario Museums Technology Fund and a MITACS Accelerate Internship award.