3d space builder...

[theinfamousbob]

How would YOU set it up?

If you're thinking the xy plane being parallel with the ground, I'd have a stepper motor with its shaft on the z-axis, turning the laser and voice coil which scans planes parallel to the z-axis. The only problem I can think of is if an obstruction protrudes more than objects around it (example: being three inches away from a 2' tall coffee table and trying to scan a bookshelf...the coffee table would be in the way and cause erroneous readings.)

You'd also have to account for the degree marking the voice coil's at...otherwise the scanned area would be spherical.

 

[Marks256]

Exactly what I was trying to tell you. You can add the third dimension purely with software.
Have you taken a look at what a commercial 3d laser scanner can/cannot do, price, software. How much work you need to do on the model after the scan? Even at very low resolution, it'll be a considerable investment of time and money.

I had similar ideas a few years ago, but found it well beyond my means, but maybe someday. I make pewter figurines (sometimes), but modeling and making molds is a major hassle. Thought it would be cool to laser scan or even download the models and use a CNC Mill to carve out the mold or produce a model I can make a mold from, using silicon rubber. Figured there was money to be made, if you could make figurines of people, pets, kids in just a few days, instead of months.

Well, i guess i have nothing to loose, i will give it a try, but i am liking the sound of the laser though... Sounds like more precision, but i could be wrong...

If you're thinking the xy plane being parallel with the ground, I'd have a stepper motor with its shaft on the z-axis, turning the laser and voice coil which scans planes parallel to the z-axis. The only problem I can think of is if an obstruction protrudes more than objects around it (example: being three inches away from a 2' tall coffee table and trying to scan a bookshelf...the coffee table would be in the way and cause erroneous readings.)

You'd also have to account for the degree marking the voice coil's at...otherwise the scanned area would be spherical.

Ok, i think i see where you are going with this. Sounds like a lot of math... HURAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, i have a pretty good idea, but what would i use for a receiver? Photodiode? What?

 

[theinfamousbob]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_scanner

I'd say that you'd rather use triangulation, unless you can use a custom DSP chip or something...

Plus you could use a cheap webcam if the lenses are set up right.

The math wouldn't be too bad, either speed of light computations or simple trig...your choice.

 

[Marks256]

Nope. Looks to complicated. Well, more expensive than complicated...

 

[theinfamousbob]

Nope. Looks to complicated. Well, more expensive than complicated...

Oh ye of little faith.

 

[Marks256]

I am on the budget of what i currently have, plus about $8.

 

[Sceadwian]

So you're trying to come up with a room scanner using a junk drawer and 8 bucks? Good luck! Most engineering schools couldn't do that kind of project with several thousand dollars =)
Okay, enough heckling.
https://www.sjbaker.org/projects/scanner/
It's basically for scanning solid objects, but it could easily be adapted for a room, problem is it'd have to be dark all the time. The basic scanning principle is at least sound and useable. Even seem sto include some utilities

 

[Marks256]

Well, i currently have $8, and i don't own a junk drawer. I own a junk basement, and a junk shed(both of which are so full of crap, you can barely walk through)....

 

[theinfamousbob]

Well, i currently have $8, and i don't own a junk drawer. I own a junk basement, and a junk shed(both of which are so full of crap, you can barely walk through)....

Find a magnifying glass, a webcam, old hard drive, and an R/C servo modified for continuous rotation. Throw it all together and use a computer to control it or request a sample of a DSP chip.

Assuming you have all of that lying around...

 

[Marks256]

You wanna know something? I DO have all of that stuff lying around. The problem is the webcam is a piece of crap. Soon i will be getting two identical USB webcams.

 

[theinfamousbob]

You wanna know something? I DO have all of that stuff lying around. The problem is the webcam is a piece of crap. Soon i will be getting two identical USB webcams.

Even with a crappy webcam you should still be able to triangulate distances...

Try throwing something together?

 

[Marks256]

I think i found my answer. I was searching through a pile of motherboards, and i found a nice AMD-K6/2 mobo&processor. It has two on board USB, and two ISA slots(plus like 5 pci). It also has on board video, audio, and SPP.

I think the answer is stereo-vision. Since i have the two on board usb ports, i could just buy two usb webcams from walmart, then load Linux on it, and program the A.I. in C/C++.

The only thing is, i want to be 110% SURE that there ARE countless libraries out there for USB webcams in C/C++. Are there in fact libraries for this.

 

[akg]

hmm..intel has some image manipulation libraries and so as microsoft ( they are cpp libs , i donno if it is specific to win). if u stumble across any thing good for your case , pls post it .