For about a year now, 3D printing has been moving into the mainstream and the race for the greatest and most sophisticated hardware has been exciting. Add lower cost into the scenario and competitors such as Makerbot or Cubify may have to start considering more affordable options for the oh-so emerging market. Occipital, based in Boulder, are known as exclusive software players, but made a surprise move by recently springing into the hardware market with a portable 3D scanner. Another player is the creator of the Rubicon, a 3D scanner comparable to the Makerbot Digitizer but a fraction of the cost.

 

With 43 whole days to go on Kickstarter, Occipital surmounted the $100,000 goal within 3.5 hours, with a current pledge of over $350,000. Taking themselves out of their comfort zone sure gave them an advantage. With a price tag starting at $329 and shipping next February, you'd be surprised how much you can scan with this small thing. With the Structure Sensor attached to your mobile device, it allows an endless opportunity to capture the world around you in digital form, and it astonishingly acquires the data in a matter of seconds. This means you could do anything from scanning a room for measurements or a face to create a virtual bust, and have all the data quickly in your pocket. The Structure Sensor itself is petite and decked out, with an anodized aluminum colour; quite handsome compared to some of the gawky 3D sensors out there. Kudos to the team who manufactured a full-sized PrimeSense Carmine sensor inside this small device. Another determining factor was power usage, especially when running off the iPad 4's battery, which had to be cut drastically (important to note the Structure will technically work with any iDevice suited with a Lightning dock connector). Going from a team of 3 to 13, Occipital has been hard at work pushing the boundaries of built-in hardware on mobile. The folks who's roots were in software are now delighted to be one of the first companies to attempt such large technology into a mobile and compact platform.

 

Round two is dedicated to the Rubicon, a low cost 3D scanner recently unveiled by creator Robert Mikelson for a mere $199. The device is easily compared to the newly launched Makerbot Digitizer, as it creates a 3D model by using a camera, lasers and turntable, yet Rubicon is powered via Arduino board with a stepper motor drive. So what are the differences between the two besides the extravagant Makerbot D cost of $1,400? Rubicon can capture texture! It is able to do this with a 13 MP camera (whereas the Digitizer uses 1.3MPs). Another added plus is the short time it takes to complete a full scan, with 3 minutes beating the Digitizer's 12. Although the Digitizer, in theory, has the ability to scan larger objects (8x8 inches) than Rubicon's 160mm in diameter/250mm in height, there is a catch. As stated by Mikelson, is “the camera on the Rubicon can be moved to allow for larger objects, but we have yet to see that in action”. Still, with a price tag that low, this product creates the possibility for amateur 3D enthusiasts to enjoy the same thing the big boys have! With the the initial hope to raise $25,000, this also prosperous campaign has hit over $27,000 as of today on Indiegogo, with 36 days left. A win-win in my opinion, with the similarities to the great and powerful Digitizer but far more accessible, the Rubicon is expect for delivery this December.