Desktop Scanner from CADScan Promises Ease of Use and Affordability

The Internet is the definition of a transformative technology. Not only has it redefined the dissemination of information, it has changed virtually every business on the planet. One of those changes includes the manner in which small businesses fund new projects. The year 2009 might well be remembered as the dawn of a new era of creativity, thanks to the launch of Kickstarter.

I don’t even know how many projects I’ve followed or covered on Kickstarter. It isn’t the only funding website out there, but the name has begun to be synonymous with new and interesting products. Today, the product hailing from the pages of Kickstarter is the CADScan, an affordable desktop 3D scanner.

Generally, I don’t like descriptions of new products that include the word “affordable.” The word is too nebulous. What might be affordable to Bill Gates is probably outside my price range. It can also be code for cheaply constructed. In the case of UK-based CADScan, however, the word affordable seems to have been used appropriately.

For $1,000, the CADScan offers a full color desktop scanner with one-touch, 360° scanning technology, with a resolution of up to 2 mm. The 250 mm x 250 mm x 250 mm (9.8 in x 9.8 in. x 9.8 in.) scanner produces files in .STL, .OBJ and .PLY formats. The CADScan’s prototype is constructed from ABS and steel, and, according to the website, the finished product will be made from the same materials.

“Our scanner fills a clear gap in the market, with CADScan 3D you simply put your object on the scanner’s turntable and the CADScan 3D does the rest. There’s no training, no calibration, no alignment or post-processing required,” said Alastair Buchanan, co-founder of CADScan. “With the CADScan 3D we want to bring quality 3D scanning within the reach of professionals and hobbyists alike. There are millions of engineers and designers worldwide who want an affordable means of turning physical objects into 3D models – with CADScan 3D we believe will meet that need.”

According to CADScan, the machine is nearly ready to go. The Kickstarter is intended to give the company enough capital to finalize hardware and software performance, cover tooling and production expenses, and build a supply chain to keep the scanners rolling out the door. So far, CADScan has reached a little over half of their £80,000 (a little over $120,000) goal, but still has plenty of time left on the clock. In a market where 3D scanners routinely cost tens of thousands of dollars or more, I’d guess this system should generate enough interest to end up fully funded.

Below you’ll find the Kickstarter video for CADScan.

Sources: CADScan, Kickstarter