NVision has announced the introduction of a High Definition version of its MobileScan 3D laser scanning system which moves the capability of 3D laser scanning into fields that it was not accurate enough for in the past. The new HD scanner provides very high resolution with a point spacing of 0.001" and an accuracy of +/- 0.0005" while collecting measurements at a rate of 30,000 points per second.

"The High Definition version of the MobileScan 3D provides a higher accuracy inspection and reverse engineering system than has been available in the past," said Steve Kersen, President of NVision. "Customers no longer need to choose between the speed of a scanner and the accuracy of a CMM."

The MobileScan HD sensor has a 2-axis servo controlled swivel head that is integrated with a turntable. Movement of these three axes is programmable allowing automation of measurement strategies. The key to the system's accuracy is that it uses only one servo and rotary encoder at any one time and these components are manufactured to the highest specification available. "By minimizing the opportunities for error to be introduced; the highest level of accuracy can be achieved," said Giles Gaskell Director of Business Development for NVision.

The sensor can be moved manually or automatically controlled to follow a pre-defined measurement strategy. This means that the scanner can be left alone to scan production items without the constant attention that is required by a handheld device. The sensor projects laser light onto the surface of the object being measured while a camera continuously triangulates the changing distance and profile of the laser capturing points at a rate of 30,000 per second. The density of the resulting "point cloud" is what enables the object to be accurately replicated. Before scanning and during the measurement process, the new laser scanner continually senses the object's surface and ambient light conditions and automatically adjusts the sensor to obtain the best possible measurements. All measurements are automatically transformed into a common coordinate system meaning that there are no patches of data to be sewn together after scanning has taken place.

MobileScan HD connects easily to a standard notebook computer via USB or Firewire. The new scanner comes integrated with Geomagic computer-aided inspection software that automatically processes scan data from a physical part to generate highly accurate polygon and parametric surface models. The Geomagic software also provides easy-to-understand graphical comparisons between CAD models and as-built parts.

"The MobileScan HD is a logical extension to NVision's range of Laser Scanning products, offering our customers the high speed data collection of a laser scanner with the accuracy of a CMM for the first time," said Gaskell.