3D printing has certainly taken off over the past 12 months as we continue to see some amazing products created with the emerging technology. Since 3D printers are becoming more affordable, more everyday people are getting in on the fun, which also means 3D scanners will also be needed. Unfortunately, scanners aren’t as affordable as 3D printers, although a new scanner being manufactured by 3D Systems may finally be the scanner the everyday 3D printer can purchase.
3D Systems’ Sense 3D scanner retails for around $400 and is able to scan entire people and target specific objects without the device picking up random images from the background. To compare, the industry standard for desktop 3D scanners is the Makerbot Digitizer, which retails for around $1,400 with its scanning area reaching eight inches.
With a 3D scanner this affordable, you’ll have to take the good with the bad. One downside of the Sense 3D scanner is it needs to be tethered to a Windows device, which means if you need to do some scanning on the go, you better be packing something light like the Surface 2 or an ultrabook. We’re sure you can get over this minor issue as you’ll be able to scan anything you want at a fraction of the average cost.
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