Water helps scientists scan 3D images of complex objects

Scientists have developed a new way to create 3D images of complex objects that the main component of this method is water.

Most 3D scanning technologies rely on optical devices, laser scanners and cameras. Data collected by these devices may cause interference and incomplete recording images.

Cameras cannot take positions beyond their view, resulting in inaccurate scans. For example, the 3D scanner cannot rebuild the underside shape of the miniature elephant model.

So, a group of researchers found that adding some relatively simple components could enhance 3D scanning technology and they used displacement liquids to measure the mass of 3D objects.

When a slow object dips into a water tank with a robot arm, a computer model measures the change in the amount of volume replaced, creating thin slices of objects in 3D. By constantly embedding objects at different angles, the computer model can accurately reproduce the shape of complex objects.

The researchers used immersion methods to accurately scan some 3D models. They plan to introduce their new 3D scanning method at SIGGRAPH 2017, a computer graphics conference held later this summer in Los Angeles.