Kinect 3d Object and People Scan

For Second Life and archaeological digs, the Kinect can create 3d representations of scanned items and folks! TheKinect 3d Object and People Scan gives users the technology to scan their objects and people and create a virtual 3d representation of them. This video by Chris Palmer showcases this Kinect setup and how the future of gaming and inventory can radically be changed by the Kinect. In the video people and objects, through a guided Kinect is able to capture a robust 3d image. Not only that, but also the depth and texture of the object is captured, giving a more detailed scan. The 3d images can be handy and in this case, scanned images of people can properly be imported to the game, Second Life. Another use is predicted on the archaeological digs, scanning ancient items/relics to be studied in 3d by historians miles away!

Scanning a doll:

The process of scanning

With the help of a program called 'Meshlab', we can import, view and edit the 3d images taken by the Kinect.

However, the Kinect only scan the surfaces that it sees. In order to scan and reproduce a complete version of our Munny, we have to:

1 - Clean the scans to get ride of unwanted objects, as the scanner picked up every other object and person in its viewing perimeter. The following screenshot shows a 3d scan of our Munny with the objects and people around it:

2 - We had to scan our Munny from four angles: front, back, left and right. The following screenshots show the results of those four scans after they where cleaned of all the surrounding objects:

Those 4 scans (or four meshes) can then be assembled together using Meshlab as shown on the following screenshots:

A useful technology?

The idea behind being able to scan real 3d objects can serve many purposes.

The one that we are interested in is the idea of combining 3d scanning with 3d printers. Potentially, users of this combined system will be able to reproduce simple items made of materials such as plastics.

This concept is very similar to the one explored in science fiction movies and shows. What was once an idea is now a semi-reality. There is still a long way to go until we can scan print multi-material objects with real accuracy, but the fact that this technology is mainly accessible to the general public is a great sign of things to come!