3D Scanning, To Go

You are probably already familiar with 3D scanning-to-printing as a way to build scaled, facsimile models of real-world products. But suppose you are, say, a bottle manufacturer that needs to reverse-engineer large handleware complete with little ribs in the grips. Or a Tier One aftermarket supplier needing to capture a difficult shape in an automobile interior, such as the area between the windshield and instrument panel. Or even a natural history museum needing a replica of a huge dinosaur bone for an educational exhibit. Whatever the industry -- whether manufacturing, health care, cultural heritage, or even arts and entertainment -- a significant barrier to 3D scanning has been the expense, bulkiness, and inconvenience of traditional equipment.