Utilizing 3D Scanning for Historic Preservation

At Direct Dimensions we are using some new technologies that we believe are a perfect fit for preservation applications not only because they are fast and highly accurate, but because they are also non-contact methods of acquiring massive amounts of data that can be used for documentation, restoration and preservation.

The Druid Hill Arch is a perfect example of how our team was able to collect highly accurate data of a large monument in less than a day.

Step 1) A team of Direct Dimensions engineers and team members from John Milner Associates arrive on-site at approximately 8 AM to begin set up. Within thirty minutes they are ready to start scanning the arch.






Step 2) Using the portable Surphaser HSX Spherical Scanner the team was able to take over 20 scans in the next few hours. The Surphaser is perfect for architectural preservation projects because it can be taken anywhere (it can be carried on a plane) and is made to quickly and accurately scan mid-large range objects such as planes, vehicles and buildings.




Step 3) Our team finished scanning/data collection and was back in our office, aligning all the data by close of business the same day.







Step 4) Initial deliverables include plan views and elevations, but the data can also be used for physical reproductions, animations, renderings, virtual environments or anything else you can think of.





Stay tuned! We're still working on the Druid Hill Arch and are excited to show some of the 3D visualizations we've been working on.

CMSC presentation "History of the Articulating Arm"

Direct Dimensions is at CMSC this week. Make sure to stop by and see us at Booth 703.

If you have time tomorrow between 1:30-4:30, make sure to stop into the "Metrology Systems Fundamentals" seminar. Michael will be giving a presentation on the history of the articulating arm. For a sneak peek, check out the video below.



If you don't have time to catch the presentation or can't make it to the show, just check back here early next week. We try to make a habit out of posting show presentations so that everyone gets a chance to see them.

Real Time 3D Face Scanning

When Direct Dimensions was at the RAPID show back in May, we had a chance to demo our new face scanner, the DI3D, for Design World Magazine. We're very excited about this new face scanning technology and its applications. In just a couple of seconds the system captures enough 3D data for an incredibly realistic and accurate 3D face model.

Possible applications include:

Medical: surgical planning, analysis, and patient presentation for orthodontics, maxillofacial, plastic/cosmetics, ENT, craniofacial; medical appliances such as CPAP masks, burn masks, radiation shields, etc.; medical documentation and analysis, etc.

Entertainment: personalized avatars for video games, online social networks, movie CG animation, mass customized personal consumer items such as bobble heads, etc.

Security: facial recognition and biometrics, access control systems, facial databases

See the video below for a great demonstration of the DI3D in action.




For more on the DI3D system click here or you can also visit Dimensional Imaging.