A low cost optical 3D scanner

Rocchini C, Cignoni P, Montani C, Pingi P, Scopigno R

Range scanning  3D models  Cultural heritage  Computational geometry and object modeling  Methodology and techniques 

Automatic 3D acquisition devices (often called 3D scanners) allow to build highly accurate models of real 3D objects in a cost- and time-effective manner. We have experimented this technology in a particular application context: the acquisition of Cultural Heritage artifacts. Specific needs of this domain are: medium-high accuracy, easy of use, affordable cost of the scanning device, self-registered acquisition of shape and color data, and finally operational safety for both the operator and the scanned artifacts. According to these requirements, we designed a low-cost 3D scanner based on structured light which adopts a new, versatile colored stripe pattern approach. We present the scanner architecture, the software technologies adopted, and the first results of its use in a project regarding the 3D acquisition of an archeological statue.