3D Reality Computing Hits Its Stride

Marrying 3D data from handheld scanners with CAD software holds great appeal for engineers, particularly as a tool for accelerating the design process. But until recently, growth has been slow for what industry insiders call "3D reality computing." This Cadalyst article predicts that 2015 will be the year when the technology comes into its own, thanks to more sophisticated scanning hardware, easier manipulation of captured data, and shrinking costs. Handheld 3D scanners have increased significantly in performance, while dropping in price to the range of $5,000 to $20,000. A new generation of software also does a more complete job of interpreting 3D scan data and converting it for use in CAD.

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