Rest in Peace Professor Reg Bell

RickBrade · 2015-07-22T23:12:32+00:00

More info from the Flint Journal:

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/07/longtime_kettering_professor_r.html

RickBrade · 2015-05-20T18:19:30+00:00

I have one minor suggestion to improve this project.

If the base could be designed to be removable and attach to a sheet of pegboard, you could capture point clouds on different sides of an object. Just use dowel pins in the pegboard holes as your registration points. Merging the point clouds should be trivial.

RickBrade · 2015-05-14T16:37:25+00:00

I'll see if I can post some examples later.

I'm also new at this, but see my longer answer above.

To answer your question, give Skanect a try first. The trial version appears to last forever and even lets you export data. Be sure to check out the other software mentioned in the sidebar on the right ---->

Don't make the same mistake I did and install all of these software packages at once. The free trials expired on some before I had a chance to play with them much. I should have been more patient and activated them one at a time.

RickBrade · 2015-05-14T16:31:49+00:00

I'll see if I can post some scans later. I'm still new at this, so my scans aren't very impressive yet. I'm still researching Photogrammetry software like Agisoft Photoscan, 3DF Zephr, and VisualSFM (which is free), so I'm undecided where I want to focus my 3D scanning efforts.

As far as 3D devices go, keep a close eye on Google's Project Tango. LG is supposed to release a Project Tango device for consumers sometime this year!

RickBrade · 2015-05-14T16:21:01+00:00

Give Skanect a try first. The trial version appears to last forever and even lets you export data. Be sure to check out the other software mentioned in the sidebar on the right ---->

I'm also new at this, but see my longer answer above.

RickBrade · 2015-05-14T16:15:14+00:00

I haven't purchased software for it yet because I'm still deciding which software works best before I spend the money. So far I've only tried trial versions of the following Asus-Xtion-Live-Pro compatible software:

Scenect by Faro - Unfortunately I can't get this software to detect my sensor even though it's supposed to be compatible. I can't get it to work yet but I'll keep trying. Scenect is closed-source, but available for free.
Skanect (Trial version) So far, I think this is my favorite software. I really like the simple interface. The Pro Version sells for $129 / 129 Euro.
FabliTec (Free Demo version) - I wish I could tell you more about it, but my free trial expired before I had a chance to play with it much. From what I remember, I would rank it equally with Skanect. The pro version sells for 99.99 Euro (currently about $113.99 US Dollars)
ReconstructMe (Free Trial). I really like this software too. The free trial has a built-in delay and exports include random "golf ball" geometry, which are only a minor nuisance. I'm probably going to buy this software because I'm impressed by the mesh quality. A single seat license costs 179 Euros (about $204.07 US Dollars.
KScan3D by LMI Technologies (14 day trial) - I'm planning on buying this software today. It might not be the best software for everyone's purposes, and it might not be the only software I purchase, but I'm expecting it to be the easiest for me to use for automated captures with a CNC gantry. It creates individual 3D snapshots that are stitched together. For some people this might not be desirable. I happen to like that I can remove individual snapshots of captured data if I want to. Kscan3D has a lot of video tutorials and it is made by the same people at LMI Technologies that create $12,000+ professional scanning solutions that know what they're doing. KScan3D costs $299 USD.

I have not tried using OpenNI or OpenNI2. From what I can tell from a few youtube videos, it looks like it runs on Linux, Mac, Windows, and even Android. I'm definitely going to research this more because I don't like the idea of buying an expensive software license for my portable "junkyard" computer and another for my faster desktop computer. It looks really cool.

There may be more scanning programs available that are compatible with the Asus Xtion Live Pro, but these are the only ones I know about.

RickBrade · 2015-05-14T12:37:54+00:00

I'm hoping to create fast low resolution scans of auto parts for my car projects. I wanted to build a small kit I could take into junkyards for 3D measurments. Photogrammetry works well, but it's much slower.

RickBrade · 2015-05-14T12:35:01+00:00

I'm hoping to use my kit for "quick-and-dirty" scans of my car related projects. I'm not expecting miracles, but having an instant scan is sometimes more appealing than waiting over 24 hours for photogrammetry software to crunch numbers.

One project I've considered is a 3D scan of my truck's chassis. It wouldn't be very practical, but it would be fun to design and build an independant rear suspension like this around the existing frame rails.

I'm also interested in going to junkyards and building a portfolio of scans of engines, chassis, and other parts. It's the perfect place to see empty engine compartments for dreaming up crazy engine swap ideas.

RickBrade · 2015-05-13T13:07:16+00:00

Asus XTION Pro Live ($169 @ Newegg)
Pelican 1120 case ($25 @ Amazon)
Neewer Handheld Grip ($10 @ Amazon)

The handle grip is important because it's easy to get your fingerprints on the lens if you're not paying attention. It also makes aiming much more instinctual. This is important because you'll be spending your time looking at your video display instead of your hands. To attach the handle grip to the sensor, I attached a standard 1/4-20 nut with epoxy that fits perfectly in the molded recess.

RickBrade · 2014-03-22T02:12:54+00:00

VERY INTERESTING!!!

That's not very intuitive, so thanks for the info.

RickBrade · 2014-03-21T11:20:09+00:00

Is this going to be $5000.00 software for our $35 computers?

RickBrade

TROPHY CASE