[Singularity Hub]

A Silicon Valley startup wants to give you the power to “scan your world” with a handheld scanner that rapidly creates 3D maps of objects and rooms, complete with colors and textures. While it may seem like you’d have to have a steady hand and move slowly through a room to scan it, a demo video of the device from MatterPort implies that the 3D maps can be generated by simply passing it through the space, sort of like virtually painting a room. Just imagine you’re using a squeegee and you get the idea. Inone of its promotional videos, the startup even claims, “MatterPort does for 3D modeling what photography did for painting.”According to co-founder Mike Beebe, the device is 20 times faster than other 3D scanners on the market.

And if you think it looks like a hacked Kinect sensor attached to a handle, you’re not too far off — Kinect was used in the prototype….

But MatterPort isn’t the first company to produce a portable 3D scanner. Z Corp offers a line of handheld laser scanners as part of their catalog, which includes 3D printers, yet these run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Although not a handheld device, NextEngine has offered a high precision 3D scanner for around $3,000 for a few years now. MatterPort’s product is still in development, but Beebe claims that the scanner is “18 times cheaper” than competing devices.  …

Interest in 3D scanning is on the rise in large part because of the growing popularity of 3D printing. With printers like MakerBot,Origo, and RepRap becoming accessible to many, simple scanning solutions are in demand. Beyond printing, 3D maps of interiors has a wide range of uses, from architects designing an ideal working space to realtors creating walkthroughs of a home.  …

Read the full story here: http://singularityhub.com/2012/05/03/handheld-3d-scanner-lets-you-digitize-objects-and-rooms-in-minutes/