Design of 3D Laser Scanner and Calibration Objects

3D scanning is commonly used for rapid prototyping, which is a process of converting real world objects into digital models. Most commercial laser scanners in the market are expensive and the scanning process is relatively slow. This research explores the design of an inexpensive 3D laser scanner with medium accuracy for daily use. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the technical performance capability of a DIY laser scanner and compare it to the capability of a commercial scanner. As part of this analysis, a set of standard calibration objects will be developed for a range of volume sizes. The first stage of this research is to construct a portable, inexpensive 3D laser scanner. The scanning system consists of a camera, four line lasers and a turntable. A stepper motor actuates the turntable and an Arduino is utilized in this design as a controller. The Arduino communicates with an open source scanning software program via COM ports. The scanning software is used to perform the image processing and save the scanned image as files which can be utilized for 3D printing by a standard fused deposition modeling device. The second phase of this research aims to improve the accuracy of the scanner by modifying the design. Also, tolerance analysis is also conducted during the design procedure. Finally, in order to evaluate and compare the scanning performance of different scanners, several calibration objects were designed. The result of this study can provide a simple standard method for evaluating the scanning capability of a 3D scanning system, as well as an improved design for an inexpensive 3D laser scanner.College of Engineering, The Ohio State University.No embargoAcademic Major: Mechanical Engineerin