In the past, MakerBot has earned a lot of fame and acclaim for creating some of the most intriguing 3D printers. Now, the company is trying to accomplish something far more extra-ordinary. It recently unveiled Digitizer 3D desktop scanner which essentially lets you scan actual objects, and then print them in 3D.
The company lifted the wraps off the scanner at the SXSW event. The Digitizer 3D desktop scanner works by scanning objects thoroughly. This is done with the help of two lasers which travel across the entire length of an object while an axis rotates it. At the same time, a webcam keeps a close eye on the object to monitor further details.
Once the scan is complete, it creates a full, 3D digital copy of the object and lets you keep it in your computer. Now, if you end up breaking that object, you can always plug in your 3D printer and get a replica of the very same object within minutes!
Naturally, don’t think of scanning and printing cars with these tools. The Digitizer can scan objects between two and eight inches tall and the time that the hardware takes to scan these objects is a mere three minutes.
The technology is absolutely amazing in that it lets you keep a digital copy of all such objects which you hold dear and don’t want to lose. In case you end up breaking them or somehow losing them, you can instantly get an exactly-similar 3D copy of that object.
An interesting issue that has surfaced in conjunction with this new hardware is that of hardware copyrights. Should a consumer be able to create a 3D copy of a hardware that a registered company produced? Naturally, we think that as long as the consumer is not commercially profiting from it, that shouldn’t be a problem.
MakerBot is currently testing out the performance of the scanner but the company hopes that it would be made available later this year.
Source: MakerBot
Courtesy: Slashgear
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