September 18, 2012 - Seikowave, Inc. announces availability of a $2,000 structured light scanner, the iCπ (“eye-spy”) that, according to Seikowave, meets or exceeds specifications of similar scanners sold at ten times its price. The iCπ captures images in 600ms with a resolution of 500um at a working distance of two to three feet, depending on optics, and captures motion at 30fps. By using Seikowave Portfolio software (included with the scanner) multiple images can be easily stitched together in minutes to create a 360º image of any object.
Those images can be exported as .ply, .obj, and .stl files ready for 3D printing or editing in Solidworks, Maya, Rapidform, Meshlab and many other 3D editing software packages. By projecting dual patterns of lines on an object and observing with a camera how those lines deform over time and comparing that to a known pattern, the iCπ calculates depth for each xy coordinate to arrive at a unique 3D coordinate.
This method of 3D imaging is called structured light, and is fast enough to capture motion yet accurate enough to produce highly detailed, dense point clouds. Quick and accurate imaging of objects for machine vision, reverse engineering, animation, precision model building, object creation, or for 3D printing, the iCπ is an ideal low cost way to bring 3D into your application. The iCπ is comfortable working as a metrology grade measurement device or as an integral component in any number of visioning applications. “We’ve worked hard to keep the cost of the iCπ low and performance high” says Matt Bellis, Seikowave co-Founder.
“Standard off-the-shelf components and our own patent-pending algorithms enable us to bring what was once considered professional-grade 3D scanning to the prosumer level.” The scanner consisting of a USB camera, a DLP light engine, precision optics, control electronics and software, measures 8.7” x 3.1” x 1.4”, and connects to a Windows-based computer through a USB connector.
In addition to the iCπ, Seikowave has developed structured light scanners to meet the specific needs of the industrial, medical, dental, and oil and gas industries. Seikowave is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky with engineering and sales offices in Japan and China. Seikowave’s technology was developed by co-founders, Matt Bellis (President & CEO) and Dr. Daniel Lau (CTO). Matt's prior work included developing MEMS components and optical films for display applications.
Dr. Lau, an Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, is an expert in structured light.
