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Cubify sense 3d scanner price
Sense low-cost handheld 3D scanner by 3D Systems
Dan Howarth | 4 comments
American 3D-printer manufacturer 3D Systems has launched a $399 handheld 3D scanner for capturing objects anywhere and instantly creating a printable file.
The Sense scanner is able to capture anything from small objects to scenes ten metres high and wide. The scans can then be sent straight to a 3D Systems Cube 3D printer to create a model.
Files can also be uploaded from the scanner directly to the user's online Cubify account and cloud printed in a range of materials.
"The Sense is the first ever 3D content camera for everyone, making it possible to capture people, objects and places on the go," said Rajeev Kulkarni, vice president and general manager consumer products at 3D Systems.
The product features built-in object recognition that can distinguish the required item from busy backgrounds.
Sense was unveiled at the Engadget Expand technology event in San Francisco on 8 November. It can already be purchased for $399 (£250) on the Cubify website and will be available at Staples' stores and website from 18 November.
3D scanners are dropping in price dramatically. Earlier this year MakerBot unveiled plans for the first desktop 3D scanner - a product that is now on sale for $1,400. Prior to that scanning required complex arrays of cameras, as the Dezeen team discovered when we got our heads scanned and printed.
Read on for more information from 3D Systems:
3D Systems Delivers Sense Consumer 3D Scanner
» Printable Physical Photography for All; Discover #HowScanagenicAreYou
» Easy to Use, Full Colour, Portable, Ready to Print, Share and Enjoy
» Professional Performance at the Affordable Consumer Price of Only $399
» Scan Large and Small Objects, People and Scenes, Watch the Sense video
3D Systems announced today the immediate availability of the Sense 3D scanner, the first 3D scanner designed for the consumer and optimised for 3D printing.
The Sense is the only 3D scanner to deliver precise instant physical photography, so everyone can capture his or her scanable moments. Sense has flexible scan size and can capture everything from a picture-perfect cupcake to a full-body selfie, processing data in seconds for an instantly 3D printable file. Sense comes with an intuitive user interface with easy and automated zoom, track, focus, crop, enhance and share tools. Sense printables can be sent to your Cube and CubeXTM 3D printers, or directly uploaded to Cubify.com for cloud printing in a range of materials, including Ceramix, Aluminix and Clear.
The Sense is priced at $399 and immediately available on Cubify.com. The Sense will also be available on Staples.com and in hundreds of Staples retail stores nationwide starting 18 November 2013.

3DS CEO Avi Reichental will launch Sense live on-stage at Engadget Expand on 8 November. Anyone in or visiting New York City is invited to grab a sneak peek and hands-on experience with the Sense at Engadget Expand, November 9–10, 2013, at the Javits Center.
3DS will be real-time scanning and projecting onto a 70-inch screen throughout the weekend from 9am-6pm each day.
"The Sense is the first ever 3D content camera for everyone, making it possible to capture people, objects and places on the go," said Rajeev Kulkarni, Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Products, 3D Systems. "I anticipate that the Sense's intuitive nature, portability, range, unmatched quality and powerful user interface and user experience will spur a new social movement around 3D sharable and printable physical photography."
Product Features
For your life on the go: hand-held mobility gives you the freedom to scan spontaneously, everywhere you go. The Sense is mobile scanning compatible with the Microsoft SurfaceTM Pro 2 tablet.
Scan small, scan large, scan it all: Sense small and large objects, people and scenes. The Sense has the most diverse scan range in its class with auto-optimised settings for small and large objects like a book or a motorcycle, heads to full bodies and scenes as large as ten-feet tall and wide.
Zero-in on what matters: automatic object recognition extracts precise targets from the busiest of backgrounds, scanning only the object you want.
Edit confidently: Sense software is intuitive, fast, accurate and easy to use. Scans process in seconds and can be cropped, enhanced and solidified for printables in just minutes. No design experience is necessary.
Mash-up your world: merge your scans in Cubify Sculpt, the ultimate consumer software for editing STLs, mash-ups and organic modelling. Full integration between the Sense and Cubify Sculpt gives you the creative freedom to import your scans and combine them with other favourite designs.

Physical to digital and back again: Sense is fully integrated with Cubify.com and your Cube 3D printer. Scans can be uploaded directly for cloud printing with a variety of materials on Cubify.com, or sent directly to your 3D printer.
Sense is powered by 3DS' proprietary Geomagic software, making the Sense unmatched in quality, scan speed and easy editing capabilities for consumers.
Sense is the only consumer scanner in its class that delivers professional performance at an affordable consumer price and guarantees an awesome user experience.
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Sense Handheld 3D Scanner Review
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If you have a 3D printer, you have probably downloaded and printed a few objects, and then moved on to building your own — only to realize that 3D modeling is difficult.
Often, it is easier to model an object in clay and then scan it, or just scan an existing object. That's what the $400 Sense 3D scanner from 3D Systems does: scans an object and creates a 3D model that can be modified on a computer and printed from a 3D printer or online printing service.
Overall, it does a good job of scanning large objects quickly and producing high-quality 3D models. It does have limitations, though: It can't do small objects, doesn't always pick up fine details and can't handle transparent or shiny objects.
How the Sense 3D works
The Sense 3D scanner itself is pretty light, and looks like it could double as a ray gun at a sci-fi convention. You hold it in your hand and move around the object to scan it. The scanner projects a patterned infrared (IR) beam onto the object from the bottom opening that is then detected by the middle webcam. On the PC (Windows only), the included software then translates the information into the shape of the object. At the top of the Sense is a normal webcam, which the same software uses to translate the images it captures into the surface colors of the object.
MORE: Best 3D Printers
If this process sounds rather familiar, it's because it is the same technology used in the first-generation Microsoft Kinect camera for the Xbox, created by a company called PrimeSense (which was recently acquired by Apple). A similar setup is used by the Scenect and ReconstructMe software, both of which can use a Microsoft Kinect sensor to create 3D scans. The Sense 3D comes with its own scanner, but the technology inside it is the same.
A candy bowl on a metal pedestal (left). The scan failed to detect the glass portion (right)The scanning process is fairly simple: You start the software and choose the size of the object, with options for a person (head and shoulders, or full body), or for a size range: from small (at least 8 inches, or 20 centimeters), to large (up to 10 feet, or 3 meters).
As prompted by the software, you point the scanner at the object, hit the space bar and walk around it, following a series of on-screen prompts that try to keep you the right distance from the object, and track the object as you move.
If you are too far away, or it looses track of the object, you are notified with a beep and an on-screen note in the software. You can then try to reacquire the target by matching a ghost image of the last capture with the live overlay on the screen.
While the scan is in progress, the software creates a rough model of the object that is painted in as it detects the shape. This modeled object rotates with the scanner, but you can pause it (with the space bar) and rotate around it with the right mouse button. Pressing the space bar again restarts the scanning process, so you can check the scan and then continue.
How well the Sense 3D works
The scanner has a few minor annoyances. For example, the attached 6.75-foot (2-meter) USB cable isn't long enough to move the scanner very far from the computer. This means that when scanning a large object (such as a person), you have to carry both the scanner and the computer around as you scan, or buy a USB extension cable. A wireless connection (such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) would have been preferable here, and would have made the scanner more flexible.
A way to start or pause the scan from the scanner itself, rather than using the keyboard, also would have been beneficial.
A bigger problem is that the scanner struggles with some objects — particularly, shiny, transparent or extremely matte-black ones. This is because such surfaces don't reflect the IR light pattern well. This can lead to either the object not being detected at all, or a grossly distorted version showing up in the scan. When scanning my head, for instance, the scanner failed to detect my thin, shiny, metal glasses, and instead interpreted them as part of my face, which made scans of my head look as though I was wearing a crime-fighter mask. (Staff writer Jill Scharr had better luck, after she removed her glasses.)
What can it scan?
The Sense 3D works best with medium-size objects. Although the product specs claim that the scanner can spot details down to a resolution of 0.
9 mm, I found that small details on small objects were not accurately captured. The details of cherubs forming the base of an 8-inch-tall candy dish, for instance, were only roughly recognizable in the final scan, even though all the details were larger than 0.9 mm.
3D Systems says the smallest scannable object is a cube measuring 0.2 meters (just less than 8 inches) on each side, and that seems like a good baseline — anything smaller than a loaf of bread is unlikely to scan well. If you intend to scan smaller subjects, you might do better with the MakerBot Digitizer , which is designed for objects that would fit within an 8-inch-high by 8-inch-wide cylinder. But be prepared to pay more: It retails for $1,400 (though you can likely find it cheaper).
The green indicates what the software has detected; the blue circle indicates that the object is at the correct distance.At the other end of the scale, the system can scan large objects up to 3 meters (just under 10 feet) on each side.
That's enough for things like small couches or motorcycles. Cars are too big; they won't fit entirely into the scanner's field of view.
MORE: MakerBot 3D Scanner: 12 Minutes from Physical to Virtual
The system lets you rotate the object rather than the scanner (if you wish), so you can do head-and-shoulders scans on a rotating chair, or put someone or something on a motorized turntable. The lighting does have to be very even for this to work, though: If it is not, you get odd colors in the final model from the shadows as the subject rotates.
As the object is scanned, the software “paints in” the details.The scanning process also needs a lot of light. If part of the object is in a shadow or low light, the colors come out dull and muted, and the scanner struggles to track the object. Bright lights behind the object also confuse it (especially the sun, which gives off lots of IR light), again producing odd shapes or, more often, a loss of tracking, in which the system can't find the object in the image (an endemic problem with cheap 3D scanning apps).
I got the best results from scans done in bright but diffuse light, such as indirect sunlight, or with several softened surrounding electric lights. If you are planning to do a lot of scans with this device, it might be worth building a 360-degree lighting setup. If you are scanning outdoors, you should pick your location carefully and shoot with the sun high in the sky so it doesn't end up shining into the scanner and confusing it as you move around.
The results
Once the scan is complete, the program processes all of the scanned data and gives you the 3D model. You can then edit this, cutting out the bits that you don't need, (such as the surface that an object was sitting on or other nearby objects) and smoothing the object. This process is fairly intuitive: If you are comfortable using the mouse, you'll quickly learn how to edit objects.
You can also set the software to solidify the object, which fills in small parts that the scan misses, such as areas that are partially covered, or those that are too dark to be detected.
However, this technique should be used with caution, as it can't fill in any larger missing parts of a scan. One scan I did of a deck chair missed parts of the legs, and the solidify feature mistakenly created a huge, solid mass underneath the chair rather than just filling in the missing sections of the leg.
The process generally produced good results with larger, well-lit objects that don't have overlapping elements or large holes in them, like people. It did an impressive job with both a head-and-shoulders scan and a full-person scan, building the 3D mesh (the mesh of scanned points and surfaces that form the object) and then creating a simple final object from this data.
MORE: 3D Printer Buyer's Guide
A scan of staff writer Jill Scharr after she removed her glasses.When the scan is finalized, it can be exported as a STL, PLY or OBJ file, which will work with most 3D design software. STL files are the most widely used, but they don't include any of the color information from the object.
PLY and OBJ files do include this information, so those are the best formats to work with if you want to print the objects to a full-color process. Unsurprisingly, the Sense software links directly to 3D Systems' Cubify object service, where you can order a 3D print that will be shipped to you. This service also allows you to sell the 3D scan itself, or a 3D-printed model in various sizes and materials that Cubify's online printing service offers.
The 3D Sense is a capable scanner, but it is limited by the capabilities of the scanning system it employs. The PrimeSense sensor it uses is capable of decent resolution, but it can't detect and resolve the same level of fine detail that scanners like the MakerBot Digitizer or the David SLS-1 can; it just isn't suited for scanning the smaller objects that these printers can. It can't scan very large objects (bigger than about 10 feet), either, so it is best suited for subjects like people and statues. For these types of things, the 3D Sense does a great job of creating a decent 3D model.
The process of scanning has its quirks, but it is generally easy to do once you figure them out, and it produces attractive 3D objects that can be quickly and easily printed.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Pros | Cons |
| Inexpensive | USB cable too short |
| Easy to operate | Doesn't scan objects as small as promissed |
| Scans very large objects | Lighting objects is a bit tricky |
Dimensions
7 inches x 5 inches x 1.2 inches (17.8 cm x 12.9 cm x 3.3 cm)
Scan volume
Min: 7.8 inches x 7.8 inches x 7.8 inches (20 cm x 20 cm x 20 cm)
Max: 9.8 feet by 9.8 feet x 9.8 feet (3 m x 3 m x 3 m)
Field of view
Horizontal: 45 degrees
Vertical: 57.
5 degrees
Diagonal: 69 degrees
Minimum hardware recommendations
Intel Core i5™ or equivalent processor
2GB of RAM
1280 x 1024-pixel screen resolution
32-bit color
4GB available disk space
Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 (32-bit or 64-bit)
(No Mac OS X support)
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3D Systems Sense - handheld 3D scanner|Kubikus.by 3D studio in Minsk
Sense 3D Cubify
3D Systems Sense is a handheld 3D scanner designed to be used in combination with Cube 3D printers. The design of the scanner is aimed at maximum convenience. and ease of use, coupled with high flexibility in terms of the size of scanned objects, reaching 3x3x3m.
The scanner has automatic settings for processing small, medium and large objects. Digitized models are provided as STL and PLY files. Data transmission is carried out via cable USB connections.
Price: 1,687.50
Buy
SENSE 3D SCANNER
| Purpose: | manual |
| Scanner technology: | contactless |
| Country: | US |
| Manufacturer: | 3D Systems |
Specifications
| Resolution: | at a distance of 0.5 m is 0.9 mm |
| Scan size: | 200-3000 mm |
| Minimum scan area: | 200x200x200 mm |
| Maximum scan area: | 3000x3000x3000 mm |
| Distance to object: | 0. 35-3 m. |
| Vertical field of view (X): | 57.5° |
| Image size: | 240x320 pix |
| Scan speed: | 30 fps |
| Scan depth (mm): | 1 |
| System requirements: | PC Requirements: Intel® Core i5™ processor or equivalent, 2 GB RAM, 1280 x 1024 display resolution, 32-bit color, 4 GB free disk space Operating system: Windows 7® (32-bit or 64-bit), Windows 8® (32-bit or 64-bit) |
| Maximum throughput (frames/sec): | 30 |
| Calibration: | calibrated |
| Interface: | USB 3.0, USB 2.0 |
| Energy consumption: | 2. 25 W |
| Data output format: | OBJ, PLY, STL |
| Software: | Sense Software |
Dimensions
| Dimensions, mm: | 178x129x330 |
Top 13 3D scanners on the market!・Cults
In the past, 3D scanners were mainly used for industrial and professional applications. For example, scanning architectural objects or creating digital models for films. As technology advances, the price continues to drop. Now, 3D scanning gives the average person the ability to custom-make just about anything they want. With more affordable prices, 3D scanning is becoming more accessible to consumers for personal use.
But first, a basic overview of 3D scanning:
A 3D scanner scans real objects and passes the image data to a 3D modeling program.
The object can then be manipulated in the software and - if desired - exported and created on a 3D printer.
1. Select any object (or person!) that you want to scan
Why is 3D scanning useful?
Imagine if you could scan your body and see how clothes fit and look online before you order them? 3D scanning technology can do just that. For example, bodylabs uses 3D scanning to understand how products will work for customers based on their body shape and posture.
2. Scan it and customize it in 3D modeling software
After scanning the object, you can reduce its size or edit it with free 3D design software. You can then choose to 3D print the edited file.
3. Export your model and print it in 3D!
Once the model has been scanned and edited to your liking, you can export it to .stl format and send it to a printer to bring it to life.
We have listed the 3D scanners below in ascending order of price (from cheapest to most expensive).
Their rating does not necessarily reflect our judgment of the quality of the product. We've included some handy YouTube videos that go into more detail about each product.
1. XBox Kinect 3D Scanner - $95 USD
If you want to get by on the cheap, there are ways to use your old Xbox 360 or Xbox One Kinect device to get great results! If you have a Kinect.
2. iSense 3D Scanner for iPhone/iPad - $99
This scanner was developed by 3D Systems as part of the Cubify family. Although they don't sell 3D printers anymore, they keep their 3D scanner in the market. Like a structure sensor, iSense attaches to an iPad or iPhone. Its range of motion is 0.5m more than the Sense.
3. XYZprinting 3D Scanner - $139
XYZprinting 3D Scanner is the cheapest portable 3D scanner on the market. At under $200, it's perfect for anyone looking to get into 3D scanning on a budget.
The size of the scanner is 60 cm x 60 cm x 30 cm, so it is best used for small items.
It also uses the new Intel RealSense image capture software, which means it can connect to any Windows device with a 4th generation Intel processor.
4. BQ Ciclop 3D Scanner Kit - $199
This open source hardware project has been released under an open source license so that all mechanical design, electronics and software information is available to the community for further development . The full package costs about 199 USD. You can even download the design and print it in 3D!
5. Structure Sensor for iPad - $379
Arguably the best scanner on the market, the Structure Sensor was developed through a Kickstarter campaign that attracted over 3,500 people and raised $1.2 million. Structure Sensor turns your regular iPad into a 3D scanner that captures three streams of data at 30 frames per second.
6. Cubify Sense - $399 USD
Cubify Sense is a portable pen scanner that makes it easy to manually scan 3D objects. This makes it possible to use Sense in quite unique areas, with both advantages and disadvantages.
Sense is compatible with Windows and Mac OS.
7. Matter And Form MFS1V1 Desktop 3D Scanner - $467 USD
The first ever crowdfunded 3D scanner, Matter and Form, is a Toronto-based company that has raised nearly half a million dollars to develop this product. It uses a 3D laser scanner with a movable camera head and a 360-degree rotating platform.
MFS1V1 generates a detailed point cloud, which again works very well in some scenarios and less well in others.
8. XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 Pro 3-in-1 3D Printer - $810
Da Vinci 1.0 Pro is both a 3D scanner and a 3D printer. It uses a laser diode module with a 2 megapixel camera (higher resolution than 1.2 megapixel iPad scanners). Please note that this machine uses proprietary 3D printing consumables.
9. Einscan-S - $999
Einscan-S has two scanning modes: automatic and free. The first one is the easiest: just place an object on the rotating surface of the Einscan turntable and the machine will scan it in just 3 minutes with an accuracy of .
1 mm. For large models, free scan mode works by rotating the scanner on a tripod around the object. Einscan-S generates one STL file that can be sent directly to your 3D printer. Einscan-S produces 3D printable models with greater accuracy (using "Light Structure Phase Shift Technology" instead of lasers) than competitors, providing industrial quality 3D scanning technology within a consumer's budget.
10. IIIDScan PrimeSense 3D Scanner - $1441 USD
Greater accuracy comes at a price. This tripod-mounted 3D scanner is unique in that it uses a short-range image sensor capable of scanning 3D objects in more detail and at a faster rate than other scanners on the market.
11. Fuel3D Scanify - US$1,500
This is a very high speed handheld 3D scanner capable of capturing an object in less than 1/10th of a second. In this regard, it differs significantly from the other 3D scanners on this list. In practice, it's more like taking a 3D photograph than manually scanning an object.
Fuel3D Scanify uses a dual HD stereo laser camera combined with photometric data from three xenon flashes to create reasonably realistic 3D scans in the blink of an eye (so to speak). High tech.
12. NextEngine 3D Scanner HD - $2,995 USD
The NextEngine 3D Scanner HD combines portability with very high accuracy - much better than the scanners at the top of this list. Of course, the higher the accuracy, the higher the price! It uses an electro-optical system with a laser array that scans in tandem. The advantage is that the high-precision scanner has no size limits. The scanner comes with its own mesh creation software package, and you can also check out their NURBS and Solid modeling packages as options.
This is the scanner for those who want to get really serious results from their 3D scanning efforts. If you check out the gallery on their site, you can see how much more detailed NextEngine scans are compared to some of the cheaper scanners on this list. Of course, these are the company's own comparisons for marketing purposes, so feel free to take them with a grain of salt!
13.
