OpenScan: An Open-Source 3D Scanner You Can Build Yourself

A functional 3D scanner on your desk. That idea once belonged exclusively to science fiction, but today you can not only build it piece by piece, but also have the option to purchase a complete kit at a very reasonable price. This is possible thanks to the OpenScan project, compatible with Arduino or Raspberry Pi as control units. If you're interested in digitizing your first objects to experiment with a 3D printer, this might be a good place to start.

The missing link in 3D printing

The potential of 3D printers is gigantic, no doubt about it. From prosthetics to houses, there seems to be no limit to what they can do... but in reality there is one. Every 3D printer needs a model, a digital copy of the object to reproduce. Personally, I would love to fabricate every lost battery cover in my remote controls, but the printer doesn't guess: it requires precise instructions.

Now, I have had the privilege of watching true masters create models with ease using nothing more than the original object and a caliper, but there is another path: 3D scanning. The concept of a 3D scanner is not exactly new, and some companies offer quite robust options. But what about DIY? If an enthusiast can assemble a 3D printer from scratch, a 3D scanner shouldn't fall too far behind. That's when the OpenScan project intervenes.

How OpenScan works

The goal of OpenScan is to give anyone interested the possibility of building a small 3D scanner based on Arduino or Raspberry Pi, and other widely available components. The device applies the process of photogrammetry, which combines a series of images captured from multiple angles to form a point cloud and generates a 3D model from it.

A classic problem with photogrammetry is that it is not very forgiving of error margins and needs very stable conditions. The good news is that OpenScan enables a web interface that lets users make various adjustments and quickly check whether the set values optimize the scan quality.

Price and licensing

OpenScan still needs to clarify certain aspects of its license (for example, the firmware is free, but there are conflicting details about building the scanner itself), however, it is an excellent starting point for exploring 3D scanning, even without prior knowledge. In fact, on its official page there is a store that sells the scanner as a kit. For less than 200 euros, you get the complete package with Raspberry Pi, while the Arduino kit costs 140 euros (you have to print additional parts in both cases).

Official website: Click here