Product Design
First ideas for A 3d scanner DRAFT
The “there must be a better way” was ringing in my head for a while, so, as soon as I got some free time on my hands, I sat down to try and conceptualize it.
First couple of ideas were just crap, but hey, how do you come up with a good idea if you don’t have any bad ones in the first place? Anyways, this is what I’ve learned from extensive brain storming:
1. I need a rig similar to full body capture scanning rigs.
2. I need as few cameras as possible.
3. Camera must not rotate around the subject.
Going back to the original plan, this has to be as affordable as possible, preferably under $1000 per unit to build on your own.
My initial idea was to have a subject centered in the middle of this weird contraption that will move the camera in the front and the background plate behind the model, spinning all around it and taking photos at each step. While conceptualizing it, I soon realized this solution would never work for several reasons:
First, the whole thing would be enormous. If you add the model size, plus distance to the camera, plus the camera size, you easily get to something that is at least 80-100cm in all directions. That is just way too big.
Second, it would be mechanically “challenged”. The number of rails and moving a DSLR around is just not practical. It would cause all kinds of malfunctions, besides beinh heavy and impractical to move around.
Finally, camera would block the light. This would cause shadows falling all over the subject.
In conclusion, camera has to be fixed in front of the subject that would rotate around itself.
Concept 2 : A (somewhat better solution)
Going back to the drawing board (modeling software in this case) and spending a couple of sleepless nights, brought about this brain fart. Camera arm is supposed to pull out from the base which contains all the electronics, including the motor for the base rotation, rails attach to it, with the camera sliding up and down the system.
I was quite happy with this, but my gut feeling told me that this wouldn’t really work.
Why?
Well, it’s not automated enough, for one. While triggering can be solved via remote IR LED, you’d still need to pull the camera up and down on your own, and I have no clue where would one store the rails while not in use.
It made for a good base for tinkering, though.
In conclusion…
Well, I haven’t succeed in finding a good solution.
I haven’t failed either.
The whole conceptualizing process was done on a computer and while I haven’t made anything I came to some conclusions running the simulations, renders and modeling which, I believe, will lead me to something decent in the end.
