If you want to make your own 3D scanner, the first step is to find a webcam. If you have it, the cost of the entire project will cost 40-50 dollars. Desktop 3D scanning has made great strides in recent years, but it still has major limitations. The hardware of the technique is built on the basis of a certain volume and resolution of scanning. You can get good results only if your subject meets the shooting requirements and resolution.
How 3D shooting works
Photogrammetry uses a set of conventional 2D photographs taken from all directions around an object. If a point on an object can be seen on at least three images, its location can be triangulated and measured in three dimensions. By identifying and calculating the location of thousands or even millions of points, the software can create an extremely accurate reproduction.
Unlike a hardware scanner, this process has no size or resolution limits. If you can take a photo of an object, you can scan it:
- The limiting factor inphotogrammetry is the quality of photographs and therefore the skill of the photographer.
- Photos must be clearly visible and clearly in focus.
- They should also be placed around the object so that every part of them is covered.
Without a 3D scanner, you can only make a 3D image of large objects. Small items cannot be scanned. To understand this in more detail, we will analyze the concept of photogrammetry.
What is photogrammetry and how does it affect the display of objects?
Photogrammetry is the science of taking measurements from photographs, especially to reconstruct the exact position of surface points. It can also be used to reconstruct the motion paths of designated anchor points on any moving object, its components, and in close proximity to the environment.
In short, it gives you the ability to create a 3D grid from multiple photos by comparing similarities between images and triangulating them in 3D space.
Photogrammetry has been around for a while, but it wasn't until Autodesk jumped into its Memento beta program that things started to work. Memento was renamed to ReMake when it left the beta phase. Sounds like magic, right? Well, it's not magic, it's reality. Now anyone can do 3D scanning without spending hundreds on a scanner. Even affordable open source 3D scanners require quite a bit of knowledge to get them to work properly. FROManyone can get what they want with photogrammetry.
Turntable - the second stage of creating a scanner
All you need to create your own 3D scanner is your smartphone, included headphones and a player. Here's how it works: you turn the crank, and for every full turn of the turntable, the phone's camera is triggered by the headphone volume 50 times.
Easy! Transfer photos to your computer and then use Autodesk ReMake to do wonders. It's amazing, but not only is it good at meshing, it also provides tools to tweak the mesh, repair holes, align, prepare for 3D printing, or serve as a system shape as a 3D resource for games or renderings!
Well, given that Apple has removed the headphone jack for the iPhone 7 and above, an updated version of the scanner creation will be used. It is based on the principle of working on a trigger for a Bluetooth camera. This will replace the need for a headphone jack.
- High quality photogrammetric scanning requires high quality photographs of the subject from all angles.
- The easiest approach to scan small things is to rotate the object while photographing.
- To do this, the scanner uses a stepper motor controlled by the Arduino board.
- The stepper rotates the object by a fixed amount, and then the infrared LED goes off in a freaking tricky series of flashes that mimic a camera's wireless remote control.
LCD display screen with a set of buttonsallows the user to control the Arduino. Using the buttons, the user can select the number of shots to be taken per revolution. A high quality DIY 3D scanner can work in automatic mode, where it takes a picture, advances the stepper motor and repeats it until it completes a complete revolution.
There is also a manual mode in which each press of the button takes a picture, moves the jog dial and waits. This is useful for scanning details. The 3D scanner focuses on the frame framing the image.
Additional software
When the photogrammetry software detects a feature in a photo, it tries to find that feature in other images and records the location on all pictures that appear.
- If the object is part of a rotating object, we get good data.
- If the detected feature is in the background and doesn't move while the rest of the object is being scanned, it could break the space-time continuum, at least as far as your software is concerned.
There are two solutions:
- One of them is moving the camera around the subject to keep the background in sync with the movement. This is good for large objects, but it's much harder to automate the process.
- An easier solution is to leave the background untouched. This is easier to do for small objects. Add to that the rightlighting and you're on your way to featureless backgrounds.
Another tip is to overexpose your images with a stop or two. This allows you to capture more detail in the subject's shadow while separating the background so that any remaining background objects disappear into a brilliant white.
- "Arduino". It has pins that are not covered by the LCD screen, making it easy to connect.
- SainSmart 1602 LCD Shield which has a display and some buttons to control the scanner.
- Stepper motor driver (Easy Driver).
The NEMA 17 stepper motor will rotate the scanned object. With a large stepper motor (with appropriate driver and power supply), this high quality DIY 3D scanner could scale up the scan. 950 nm IR LED triggers the camera. Some popular models of handheld 3D scanners are based on this principle. You can repeat the building process with your own hands. We offer several options to choose from.
Spinscan by Tony Buzer: the basis of all scanners
In 2011, 3D printing genius Tony Buzer released Spinscan. This is an open source homemade 3D scanner based on a laser and a digital camera. Later, MakerBot used ideas from Spinscan to create the closed source Digitizer Scanner.
FabScan
FabScan started as a graduation project and has since been adopted by a small community that continues to work on improving its features. FabScan works like many other laser scanners, but is aided by a built-in housing that helps even out light levels, preventing distortion when scanning.
VirtuCube
An alternative method for laser scanners is the structured light scanner. Using a pico projector instead of a laser, the VirtuCube can be easily created with a few printed parts and basic electronics. This whole system can be placed in a carton box to prevent other light sources from causing printing errors.
Two exciting new open source laser scanners have already been released: The BQ Cyclop and Murobo Atlas.
BQ - laser scanning system
Spanish consumer electronics company BQ announced the Cyclop 3D scanner at CES. Cyclop uses two laser line levels, a standard USB webcam, and BQ's custom Arduino controller. BQ has written his own scanning application called Horus. While reports say Cyclop is not yet available, BQ says it will be later this year.
"Atlas" is a developed project that requires improvements
Murobo's 3D scanner is currently seeking funds on Kickstarter. Like Spinscan, Digitizer and Cyclop, Atlas uses laser line modules and a webcam to scan an object on a rotating platform. Atlas replaces the Arduino Raspberry Pi to integrate control and capture into a device. Like Cyclop, Atlas creator promises it will be a projectopen source. The $129 sets have sold out, but some remain at $149 and $209.
In 2019, the company aims to launch a smartphone-based 3D scanner that will not only display background visibility, but also construct focus when capturing an image. In America, DIY novelties are amazing. If you don't know how to make a 3D scanner, use the unfinished version of Atlas. There is a fairly clear functionality, and developers only need to flash the device and ensure the operation of those functions that they want to see as a result.
CowTech Ciclop: new model of multifunction machine
Price goes up to $160 (depending on whether you print 3D parts or not). The company is based in the USA. The resolution of finished images reaches 0.5 mm. Maximum scanning volume: 200 × 200 × 205 mm. BQ formed the basis of a DIY 3D scanner kit for a 3D printer. With your own hands, you can modify the version of the model to create images in four-dimensional space.
CowTech Engineering leveraged BQ-led funds to give unique value to the updated model. New Opportunities:
- environment review,
- background capture,
- display lenses in inverted style.
Faithful to the open source movement, Cowtech launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to launch a production version of the original, Ciclop CowTech. The team set a lofty goal of raising $10,000 but was met with surprise anddelighted when the community was able to raise $183,000. The CowTech Ciclop DIY 3D camera and phone scanner kit is born.
So what's the difference between CowTech version and BQ DIY version?
CowTech Ciclop still uses Horus 3D software as it is a fantastic shop for 3D object scanning. The differences, however, lie in a slightly different design, which the team spent several days developing so that the parts can be 3D printed on any FDM 3D printer.
The same blanks can be used to develop devices with your own hands. The company's 3D scanners and printers only have a small build volume, so CowTech has designed parts that can be printed on any printer with a build volume of 115×110×65mm, which is found in almost all 3D printers.
Ciclop by CowTech:
- There are adjustable laser holders here.
- CowTech DIY uses laser cut acrylic.
BQ Ciclop:
- Models use threaded rods.
- There is no laser cut acrylic.
No big deal, and the scanners still look pretty similar, but CowTech only intended to improve on the existing design, not reform it. CowTech sells a scan-ready Ciclop for $159 on their website. All in all it is a great cheap DIY 3D scanner, very efficient for laser triangulation 3D scanning.
Rotary machines and tables for creating scanners
- Mobile phoneequipped with DIY 3D scanner technology: photogrammetry - technological feature present.
- Price: Free printing by yourself (although materials will cost around $30).
- This DIY 3D scanner will be quite easy to create. Dave Clark, a British manufacturer, made sure that the models could be disassembled even before the start of sales. Spare parts will be used to build other scanners.
This is because it is based on photogrammetry, not laser triangulation, and is compatible with your smartphone! You can download the 3D printable file to sync devices.
With your own hands, a 3D scanner can be made from improvised means. You just need to trust the creators of DIY 3D. A simple device instantly turns your iPhone or Android into a 3D scanner by connecting it to this player. Then, using headphones and a phone camera, it takes over 50 photos of the object, which will be scanned as the turntable rotates.
Once you have taken these images, you can load them into a program such as Autodesk ReCap to turn the photos into a full 3D file.
Overall this is a fantastic creative project and a great DIY 3D scanner for people on a budget.
Microsoft Kinect 3D scanner
It's even lower at just $99 (but no longer sold, though Kinect V2 is still available on Xbox One). The company's slogan is: Make your own 3D scanner from Kinect and surprise your friends.
While Microsoft has responded to demand by creating its own 3D Scan app for the Kinect scanner, there are a number of third-party options that may be preferable. These include:
- Skanect, made by Occupital, which also sells a texture sensor.
- ReconstructMe. It provides a set of tools that allow you to perform 3D scanning for less than $100.
The results are not fantastic, but for such a price it is quite acceptable. It has been shown to be inferior to traditional protogrammetry in quality, especially in fine detail, such as on small models such as shark teeth. Still, for beginner 3D scanners, this is a fantastic entry-level product, especially since you might already have one for Xbox 360.
Before creating a scanner
There are many cameras you can use. Of course, in order to know how to make a 3D scanner from your phone with your own hands, you need to calculate what is needed for this. If you are planning to use Pi Scan to control your cameras, then you should use the Canon PowerShot ELPH 160. But if you are using any other setup, here are some general camera recommendations:
- How many megapixels do you need? Measure the items you are about to scan. Aim for the largest average size (do not choose the largest outliers). For example, most textbooks are 22.86×27.94 cm. Now multiply this size by the PPI (pixels per centimeter) you intend to capture. 300-this is a safe minimum, although you can't go wrong if you grab more. So, in our example - 9 × 300=2700. 11 × 300=3300. We need an image of at least 2700 × 3300=8,910,000 pixels, or about 9 megapixels.
- What control do you need? If you're just scanning a single book, or you're only scanning an item for its informational content (as opposed to trying to capture the actual appearance), you don't need very good shots. If the lighting or camera settings change from shot to shot, you'll still get good results.
- Shutter speed - white balance ISO aperture.
- Flash on/off. Any custom image processing (sharpening, color enhancement, etc.).
- Focus (ideally the ability to lock focus).
- Exposure compensation.
- Magnification - most DSLRs allow for all of this kind of control; for compact cameras, only Canon Powershot cameras that support CHDK. They allow you to control all these parameters.
A lot depends on the budget. Scanners are sold at the same price as cameras. If you want to do everything yourself, then the budget is limited. Pay attention to the affordable segment of the optics and spare parts market.
- The first difficulty encountered in building a 3D laser scanner is finding a rotating platform. At the same time, it needs to be controlled only with the help of MatLab. Instead of spending a lot of money or time, you can buy28BYJ-48-5V stepper motor with drive test module board ULN2003.
- Next, glue the platform to the stepper motor shaft and place it in the groove inside the holder. The platform should be flush with the "marble", but be aware that the cheaper it is, the more inconsistent diameters that can make things not level.
- If you have a method for getting precise rotation that can be controlled in Mat Lab, set up the camera at any distance and height, as well as the laser line to the left or right of the camera and the turntable. The angle of the laser should be optimal to cover most of the turntable, but nothing needs to be exact, we will handle the model scale difference in code.
- The most important part for proper operation is camera calibration. Using the MatLab computer vision toolkit, you can get the exact focal length and optical center of the camera with an accuracy of 0.14 pixels.
Be aware that changing the camera resolution will change the values of the calibration process. The main values we are looking for are the focal length, measured in pixel units, and the pixel coordinates of the optical center of the image plane.
Most cheap compact cameras don't have a software interface. They can only be operated manually or mechanically. But a team of volunteers has developed software that allows you to remotely control and configure Canon compact cameras. This software is calledCHDK.
- CHDK is downloaded to the SD card, which is then inserted into the camera.
- When the camera starts up, CHDK starts up automatically.
- Because CHDK never makes permanent changes to the camera, you can always just remove the dedicated CHDK SD card for normal camera operation.
CHDK is an essential prerequisite for the software controllers listed below. The controllers run on a PC or Raspberry Pi and communicate with the CHDK software running on the cameras via USB. When using other kinds of cheap cameras, the only control option is some kind of mechanical or manual start through the installer programs as shown above.
