A mixed reality interface for handheld 3d scanners

Abstract

The user interface is an essential part of handheld 3D scanners. During the scanning process, it provides feedback to the user to help him operate the scanner in an efficient way. For instance, it generally displays the reconstructed 3D model in real-time to let the user know which parts of the object have been captured and which have not. Traditionally, this type of information is displayed on a 2D screen, via a graphical user interface. Instead, we propose to use a mixed reality headset. We claim that this technology is better suited for handheld 3D scanning because it allows the reconstructed 3D model to be blended into the user’s perception of the real world. To validate this claim, we developed a prototype that uses the HTC Vive Pro headset as an interface for a handheld 3D scanner based on a Primesense Carmine RGB-D Camera.