THE DEVICES THAT WILL MAKE HANDHELD 3D-SCANNER EVEN MORE MOBILE

Historically, the 3D scanning market has been divided between handheld and stationary scanners. Each device has its advantages and disadvantages. The choice of scanner type depends largely on what tasks you plan to solve with it. Handheld 3D scanners are chosen by those users who value mobility and adaptability. Handheld scanners can be assigned to a particular lot (factory, office, medical office), or taken by a specialist for offsite scanning. 

 Handheld 3D scanners allow to better digitize hard-to-reach areas of objects with complex geometry. If scanning is put on a pipeline, and standardized objects/details are being scanned, then handheld scanners can be mounted on a tripod or manipulator, thus turning the device into a stationary scanner. In general, handheld scanners are quite adaptable depending on the task at hand. What is particularly good, the limits of their versatility can be extended.
In this article, we want to talk about how you can increase the mobility of a handheld 3D scanner (in our case, the Calibry) if you plan an offsite scanning and may not have access to power sockets.

1. Use a tablet. Normally, Calibry is connected to a laptop computer, which in turn is connected to a power outlet. If you don't have access to power outlets at the site during an offsite scanning, you can connect Calibry to a Windows tablet with Intel or AMD processors and an integrated graphics card. You don't need a lot of RAM for scanning. 8Gb would be enough. The more powerful the processor, the faster the scanning will be. You also need a USB 3.0 or Type-C connector where you can connect a Hub with USB 3.0 ports. We conducted scanning with a connection to a Dere T30 Pro tablet. 
2. Use a mini-PC. The device should have Intel or AMD processors, sufficient RAM and the ability to connect the scanner via the required USB 3.0 connector. Among what is on the market, the SZBOX Intel Alder Lake N100 may be suitable. 
3. You can also power the scanner using a portable battery. In this case, the Calibry will be connected to a laptop, which in turn will be powered by a battery.
 Such solutions may be enough for 2-4 hours of scanning, depending on the battery capacity of the tablet or the power supply of Mini-PC and portable battery.

It is worth noting that such solutions are a temporary measure in case of unforeseen situations. For stable and reliable operation of 3D scanners, we still recommend using laptops that meet the technical requirements.