New near-infrared 3D scanner replaces the need for lasers

The technology can take 36 3D images per second with a resolution of one million pixels.

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering has created a scanner that replaces the lasers of typical 3D scanners by using a pattern of infrared light. The measuring technology works in a similar way to human vision, but uses two near-infrared cameras instead of eyes.

Infrared rays are invisible to the human eye, so the scanner measures the surface invisibly with high accuracy. This makes it possible to create high-resolution 3D images of 1,000 x 1,000 pixels at 36 3D images per second. The system is able to create images continuously without a break, creating the impression of a moving 3D color image to the viewer. With a resolution of one million pixels and real-time data processing, numerous applications are possible with this new device, including medical rehabilitation, gaming, and security purposes for biometric scanning.

New technologies that can be used in medical environments are becoming more popular, with a smart prosthetic limb that makes movement feel more natural and a device that turns headphones into an early tinnitus warning being just two examples we recently covered. What innovation created to assist the medical world has impressed you the most?