What can you scan with a 3d scanner anyway?

Spoiler alert! - You can pretty much scan anything that you can see... and sometimes things that you can't!

There are a lot of scanners out there on the market and they encompass all kinds of different technologies. From taking pictures with your phone (photogrammetry) to the most cutting edge x-ray CT inspection scanners, there is a scanner for every job.

One of the most frequent questions that I get is "can I scan XYZ"?

We scan in two different ways here at 3d Scanning Colorado; using blue structured light or using blue laser light. With this type of scanner, or any scanner that uses light to record data, the scanner emits light and records what bounces off from the object you are scanning using two or more "eyes". If you are in a dark room and you are shining a flashlight on an object then anything that you see is something that can be recorded by our scanners.

Since this is the way that scanning technology works for the most part, it's also important to remember that dark colored objects absorb more of the light that the scanner emits and makes it harder for the scanner to "see" any light that is bouncing back. Transparent objects don't reflect light back to the scanner (usually need to be sprayed with a special spray to scan) and reflective objects reflect diffused light in a way that makes it tough for the scanner to recognize.

Dark, transparent, and reflective surfaces can still be scanned accurately though depending on the type of light being emitted, they may just take a bit more preparation then other surfaces.

Thanks for reading!