In an enthusiastic update posted to Reddit, OpenScan creator Thomas Megel has announced support for the latest high res Arducam autofocus camera with a demo video showing a notably detailed 3D scan of a safety pin—all powered by a Raspberry Pi 3B+.
Megel began his work on the OpenScan project back in 2018 but prior to the 3D scanning development, he worked as a high school mathematics teacher. These days, he dedicates more time to the project which now has an official website for updates, downloads, news and anything related to OpenScan.
OpenScan works using a scanning process known as photogrammetry and relies entirely on a Raspberry Pi to power the operation. The photogrammetry process involves taking many pictures of an object from various angles and using those images to stitch together an accurate 3D rendering of that object. Megel provides not only the tools to process these images but also 3D-printable rigs for scanning objects with a Raspberry Pi.
These scanning rigs are designed to house the Raspberry Pi, a camera module of your choice and provide a small platform to place the object to be scanned. According to Megel, the biggest issue with the official Pi Cam modules involves the focus adjustment settings. This latest update provides support for Arducam’s IMX519-based high res camera which features autofocusing capability, making it an ideal candidate for this type of project.
Megel explains that several open-source options are available for processing the images into a 3D object including applications like VisualSFM, Meshroom, and Colmap. However, users can also opt to use Megel’s cloud-based platform, OpenScanCloud, to process the scans, freeing up valuable processing power on your personal PC.
OpenScan is, as the name suggests, an open-source project with code available for anyone to explore. More information about OpenScanCloud is available on Megel’s OpenScanEu GitHub profile. There users can also find more information about the latest firmware update for the high-res Arducam module.
Visit the official announcement over at Reddit for more details and the opportunity to ask Thomas Megel questions in the comments. If this project is exciting to you, check out our list of best Raspberry Pi projects for more inspiring creations from the maker community.
