The world of 3-D printing technology has opened up in just the last few years.
3-D print design software, including CAD design software, has also gotten considerably less expensive as well. Even still, there are plenty of people that are looking for a more “plug and play” kind of solution for building 3-D printing models – and that’s where the XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner comes into play.
Designed specifically to 3-D scan anything and everything imaginable with lightning-like speed and incredible accuracy, this handheld 3-D scanner is going to allow you to immediately replicate almost any object that you scan in stunning definition just a few moments after you begin the scanning process.
Lightweight, portable, and tremendously effective, this XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner is a transformative piece of technology that you would have to be at least a little bit crazy not to add to your 3-D printing station.
Check out all of the inside information we have for you in this quick review and we’re sure you’ll also find the XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner to be an indispensable accessory you have to own right now!
Overview
The very first thing you are going to notice about the XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner is that it has been designed with ergonomics and intelligent design concepts in mind.
Unlike a lot of other 3-D scanner options available on the market right now, this particular unit isn’t big, isn’t bulky, and doesn’t require you to use both hands to operate. It has instead been built to be effortlessly maneuvered with one hand, and thanks to its Bluetooth technology connection you don’t have to worry about any cords getting in the way of your scan, either.
Super lightweight, you can take as much time as you like scanning all of the objects that you would like to replicate with your 3-D printer. The entire unit weighs just over 11 ounces, and at 8.5” x 4.5” x 3.8” it isn’t anywhere near as oversized or as clumsy to maneuver as most of the other competing options available on the market right now.
The XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner also leverages very advanced processing components and scanning technology, many of which are 100% proprietary and not available anywhere else. We are going to touch on these critical components in just a moment in depth in this review, but just be aware that this is not a “toy” but instead a powerful tool that can even be used in serious business applications.
Breaking down the XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner hardware
As highlighted above, this particular unit makes the most of proprietary new technology designed by Intel and other leading hardware manufacturers to produce amazingly accurate 3-D scans that can then be used by nearly any 3-D print software to produce scale replicas with lightning-like speed and accuracy.
The Intel processor inside of this unit makes sure that the “brains” of the operating leverage the proprietary Intel Real Sense scanning technology that has become such a critical component of all 3-D scanning options out there.
With an “operating range” of anywhere between 3.93 inches and 27.55 inches, and a scanning distance of between 5.9 inches and 9.84 inches, this is a unit that allows you to scan any object in-depth and accurately without having to maintain the scanning wand a very specific distance away from the object you are hoping to later replicate.
Combine this with the built-in Bluetooth technology that allows for the effortless transfer of the 3-D rendering that has been created with the XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner to almost any 3-D printer that also utilizes Bluetooth technology – or the transfer of these renders to any computer/data station that uses Bluetooth tech – and you are talking about something special here.
This device scans at a resolution of 640 x 480 at 30 FP, plenty enough to make sure that you can accurately reproduce the objects that you have scanned in high definition. We are talking about a real production line kind of tool here that isn’t going to break your bank account.
A microSD scan card is also included in this XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner for those that do not have Bluetooth technology in their computer or their 3-D printer. This makes it easy to transfer the files from your scan wand to your device, and in some cases, this is a process that goes even faster than over a wireless connection.
Pros
With the XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner, you are getting your hands on a top-quality and extremely lightweight 3-D replicating wand that isn’t going to break the bank by any stretch of the imagination. Yes, there are a handful of drawbacks (which we will mention in just a moment), but for the most part, this is a transformative piece of technology you won’t want to be without.
All of the scans that you make with the XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner are going to be high definition and incredibly accurate, but these scans are also going to be able to be modified in any of the common 3-D printing software out there as well. This allows you to rapidly prototype in a way that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.
Not nearly as resource intensive that some of the other options available, the XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner isn’t just lightweight in a physical sense but also as far as the resources it needs to be dedicated to it while in use.
Cons
As mentioned above, not all is sunshine and roses when it comes to this device.
Some have complained that the 3-D renders themselves aren’t on par with devices that can cost $500 more than this one, but that’s really to be expected.
Some have also mentioned that scanning people’s faces and likenesses with this wand are a bit of a challenge and that these kinds of scans come in at a much lower resolution.
Final verdict
At the end of the day, there aren’t any real direct competitors to the XYZprinting Handheld 3D Scanner device.
Inexpensive, effective, and not without a tremendous amount of deal-breaker drawbacks, this is certainly a scanner that you can use reliably for quite some time. It is a recommended purchase!
