There are plenty of options for tinkerers at home who want to play with 3D scanning and modeling. If you’ve got a lot of dough to burn, you might have already invested in the MakerBot Digitizer desktop 3D scanner which runs for upward of $1,400 a set. For those on the more conservative side of the budget, look no further than software and hacks designed for the $99 Microsoft Kinect. Today, San Francisco startup Occipital is releasing a device that’s a compromise of both money and hardware with the Structure Sensor, a mobile 3D scanner attachment that goes right on your iPad.
No more fussing around a computer to get things going, the Structure Sensor simply mounts around the side of the iPad, turning the tablet into a portable 3D scanner. This allows users to snap photos and scan 3D data on the fly, enabling them to use the outdoor environment to model virtual and augmented reality scenes.
The Structure Sensor’s mobility also means you can scan items of any size regardless of whether it would fit a traditional desktop scanner. Want to model your best friend’s athletic physique and create a video game character inspired by his God-like body? Go for it. Need to take a picture of the living room to plan a home renovation? You can do that too. The lack of size limitations and desktop immobility allows users to draw inspiration from wherever they’re located, be it a stroll during lunch break or a vacation in the rain forest.
