You are probably already familiar with 3D
scanning-to-printing as a way to build
scaled, facsimile models of real-world
products. But suppose you are, say, a bottle
manufacturer that needs to reverse-engineer
large handleware complete with little ribs in
the grips. Or a Tier One aftermarket supplier
needing to capture a difficult shape in an
automobile interior, such as the area between
the windshield and instrument panel. Or even
a natural history museum needing a replica of
a huge dinosaur bone for an educational exhibit.
Whatever the industry -- whether manufacturing,
health care, cultural heritage, or
even arts and entertainment -- a significant
barrier to 3D scanning has been the expense,
bulkiness, and inconvenience of traditional
equipment.