2023-05-27 18:00:00
O sensor LiDAR arrived at iPhones of the Pro line in 2020 to help devices with tasks like portrait mode cropping, autofocus and distance measurement, but did you know that it can also be almost a “cheap” replacement for a scanner 3D profissional?
This is what the journalist specializing in 3D printing showed James Bricknell, and CNETwho tested both object mapping using an iPhone 12 Pro and a professional 3D scanner machine.
First, it’s important to note that 3D scanners use reflected light (sometimes in the form of lasers) to map the surface of an object — this in conjunction with two cameras that help with depth mapping. They have great accuracy and some can capture details down to 0.1mm, which is able to “detect” even the smallest crack or imperfection present in the real object.
Handling these machines, however, is not the easiest, requiring tricks such as the correct distance from the object, as well as precise adjustment of colors and reflectivity on site. Sometimes, according to Bricknell, it takes hours of trial and error to get acceptable models—work that often just doesn’t pay off.
The iPhone, in turn, uses photogrammetry, a technique used to measure and map three-dimensional objects and environments from photographs, together with the LiDAR scanner to generate images of objects in 3D.
The many photographs serve as the basis for creating the model in a very realistic way, and although the LiDAR sensor is less accurate in terms of depth compared to the technology used in professional scanners, the resulting image is very similar to the real object when displayed digitally.
When used for printouts, however, you end up losing much of the detail in complex objects like the sneaker below — this is due to the aforementioned not-so-high depth accuracy of the LiDAR scanner. In simpler objects, such as the handle of a broken sliding door, however, the result of a print is much more satisfactory.
To use iPhone as a 3D scanner, you need to use a third-party app. Bricknell gave the example of Polycam, which allows using both photogrammetry and the LiDAR sensor to scan and create 3D models of both objects and even the walls of a house to build a plan in three dimensions.
For these cases, the LiDAR sensor serves very well, since it works better when the intention is to map larger objects/things.
When finishing the digitization of a more complex object, it is even possible to use 3D editing tools (such as Blender) to edit the file generated by Polycam and obtain more detailed impressions.
In summary, if you want to enter the 3D world or even want to make prints without too much commitment, the iPhone can be a good starting point before considering the investment in a professional scanner — which sometimes costs even more than a 3D printer.
The iPhone, even though it is also relatively expensive, has other purposes and you probably already have one, don’t you? The downside is that Polycam Pro — like most similar software — is paid (monthly fee of BRL 80 or annual fee of BRL 400). But you can venture into, who knows, look for a free app that does something similar.
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