System and method for portable active 3D scanning

A method for generating a three-dimensional model of an object, by a scanning system comprising a client-side device comprising:

• an acquisition system configured to capture images;
• and
• an interaction system comprising a display device and a network interface, the method comprising:
• capturing a plurality of images of the object by the acquisition system, the images being captured from a plurality of different poses of the acquisition system;
• computing depth maps from the images of the objects, each of the depth maps corresponding to one of the poses of the acquisition system;
• combining the depth maps to generate a combined point cloud;
• and
• displaying, on the display device, the combined point cloud or a 3D mesh model generated from the combined point cloud,
• wherein the acquisition system comprises:
• a first infrared camera having a first optical axis and a first field of view,
• a second infrared camera spaced apart from the first infrared camera and having a second optical axis substantially parallel to the first optical axis and a second field of view overlapping the first field of view;
• a color camera having an optical axis substantially parallel to the first optical axis and the second optical axis and having a field of view overlapping the first field of view and the second field of view;
• and
• an infrared illuminator configured to illuminate a region within the first field of view of the first infrared camera and the second field of view of the second infrared camera,
• wherein the acquisition system is configured to control the first infrared camera, the second infrared camera, and the color camera to capture images substantially simultaneously.

A method for generating a three-dimensional model of an object, by a scanning system comprising a client-side device comprising:

• an acquisition system configured to capture images;
• and
• an interaction system comprising a display device and a network interface, the method comprising:
• capturing a plurality of images of the object by the acquisition system, the images being captured from a plurality of different poses of the acquisition system;
• computing depth maps from the images of the objects, each of the depth maps corresponding to one of the poses of the acquisition system;
• combining the depth maps to generate a combined point cloud;
• and
• displaying, on the display device, the combined point cloud or a 3D mesh model generated from the combined point cloud,
• wherein the client-side device comprises:
• a housing;
• a grip coupled to the housing;
• and
• wherein the acquisition system is housed in the housing, the acquisition system comprising a support bracket, a backplate coupled to the support bracket, and a plurality of electronic components between the support bracket and the backplate, and
• wherein relative positions of the plurality of electronic components are fixed by the support bracket and the backplate.

A three-dimensional (3D) scanning system comprising:

• a client-side device comprising:
• an acquisition system configured to capture images;
• a processing system comprising a processor and memory;
• and
• an interaction system comprising a display device and a network interface,
• wherein the memory of the client-side device stores instructions that, when executed by the processor of the client-side device, cause the processing system to:
• control the acquisition system to capture images of an object, the images being captured from a plurality of different poses of the acquisition system;
• compute real-time feedback from the images of the object;
• display the real-time feedback on the display device;
• and
• display, on the display device, a 3D mesh model generated from the images,
• further comprising an offline processing system comprising a processor and memory,
• wherein the client-side device is configured to distribute, in accordance with a plurality of configuration settings, a computation pipeline for computing the 3D mesh model from the images of the object between the client-side device and the offline processing system,
• wherein the computation pipeline comprises:
• computing a plurality of depth maps from the images of the objects;
• combining the depth maps to generate a combined point cloud;
• and
• computing the 3D mesh model from the combined point cloud.

A three-dimensional (3D) scanning system comprising:

• a client-side device comprising:
• an acquisition system configured to capture images;
• a processing system comprising a processor and memory;
• and
• an interaction system comprising a display device and a network interface,
• wherein the memory of the client-side device stores instructions that, when executed by the processor of the client-side device, cause the processing system to:
• control the acquisition system to capture images of an object, the images being captured from a plurality of different poses of the acquisition system;
• compute real-time feedback from the images of the object;
• display the real-time feedback on the display device;
• and
• display, on the display device, a 3D mesh model generated from the images,
• wherein the acquisition system comprises:
• a first infrared camera having a first optical axis and a first field of view,
• a second infrared camera spaced apart from the first infrared camera and having a second optical axis substantially parallel to the first optical axis and a second field of view overlapping the first field of view;
• a color camera having an optical axis substantially parallel to the first optical axis and the second optical axis and having a field of view overlapping the first field of view and the second field of view;
• and
• an infrared illuminator configured to illuminate a region within the first field of view of the first infrared camera and the second field of view of the second infrared camera, wherein the acquisition system is configured to control the first infrared camera, the second infrared camera, and the color camera to capture images substantially simultaneously.

A three-dimensional (3D) scanning system comprising:

• a client-side device comprising:
• an acquisition system configured to capture images;
• a processing system comprising a processor and memory;
• and
• an interaction system comprising a display device and a network interface,
• wherein the memory of the client-side device stores instructions that, when executed by the processor of the client-side device, cause the processing system to:
• control the acquisition system to capture images of an object, the images being captured from a plurality of different poses of the acquisition system;
• compute real-time feedback from the images of the object;
• display the real-time feedback on the display device;
• and
• display, on the display device, a 3D mesh model generated from the images,
• wherein the client-side device comprises:
• a housing;
• a grip coupled to the housing;
• and
• wherein the acquisition system is housed in the housing, the acquisition system comprising a support bracket, a backplate coupled to the support bracket, and a plurality of electronic components between the support bracket and the backplate, and
• wherein relative positions of the plurality of electronic components are fixed by the support bracket and the backplate.