3D Scanner Made From Microsoft Kinect and Legos

We have probably all seen by now the 3D Printer made from Legos. Well, someone has just made a 3D Scanner from Legos as well.

They used a Microsoft Kinect, a Wiper Motor off the shelf, and bunch of LEGO bricks to produce a fairly simple, yet useful 3D scanner. The machine was created within a Bamberg Germany hackerspace, which has a website located here: https://www.hackerspace-bamberg.de/3dme


The Kinect sits on a bunch of Lego's which is able to move up and down as it is tethered to the old wiper motor. The scanner may look a bit rickety, however the scans seem to speak for themsilves... Job well done:
http://files.channel9.msdn.com/wlwim...5B5%5D-197.png


A look at the 3D scan, as well as that scan printed on a 3D Printer:
http://files.channel9.msdn.com/wlwim...5B8%5D-100.png

Clever, the Kinect is really being hacked for some pretty useful applications. The maker movement certainly is in full swing. I love it! Clever people finding useful ways to use technology which it was not originally intended for.

This is sweet! However I'm a little confused by the scan that you show. Is this a full sized human being that is being scanned? If so, why do you need the built scanner? Couldn't you just hold the kinect and walk around the persons body with it?

When I've tried doing that, I experienced frequent loss of tracking. So there's something to be said for a smooth mechanical motion to sweep up and down. But you'd still need a large turntable for the person being scanned, if you wanted to get all the way around them.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com