A Cheap 3-D Scanner Attempts To Bring 3-D Printing To The Masses

The quality of a 3-D printed object depends on the quality of the 3-D images the printer uses as a base model. But the 3-D scanners required to capture those images are often too expensive for hobbyists or independent makers, usually weighing in at several thousand dollars.

A company called Fuel3D is attempting to bring 3-D scanning to the masses by Kickstarting a lightweight 3-D scanner. It acts like a point-and-shoot camera, but the company promises it will deliver high-quality 3-D images for under $1,000. The campaign has raised more than $68,000 of its $75,000 goal since it began yesterday.

Fuel3D says its scanner is capable of extremely high-quality shape and color capture and is nuanced enough to discern the fine lines of a face, the intricately carved grooves of a sculpture, or the feathery petals of a flower.

[Images: Fuel3D]CC