ABSTRACT
Over the past decade, the availability of 3D printers has continued to increase as they have become more and more cost-effective. However, the case for 3D scanners is not the same. With applications as vast as those of a 3D printer, their availability remains limited; high cost being a major factor. This chapter focuses on the design and development of a cost-effective 3D scanner, which can create high-quality three-dimensional models of medium-sized objects. This method of reverse engineering can help to greatly reduce the design time by eliminating the need to start from scratch using a CAD modeling software. Furthermore, the scanned object can then be modified or printed as-is using a 3D printer (rapid prototyping), if available.
