Scanning Submarines

When you're capturing a 3D scan of an object, you are typically limited by the size of the scanner, if the scanner requires you to put the scanned object inside it. But there's also hand-held scanners that can overcome even that limitation. But how big an object can you scan? 

 

Creaform is going to find out soon as they've got the contract to provide scanning technology for the US Navy to scan submarines:

 

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, will be the first to receive an order of MAXscan scanners, the 2-in-1 photogrammetry laser scanner for large parts developed by Creaform. 

 

Specifically they'll be scanning the hulls of the subs, which by the way are coated in tiles made from a sound-reducing secret rubber compound. Inevitably this layer is scuffed through day-to-day operations and sufficiently damaged tiles must be replaced. 

 

The scanner will not only help detect which tiles are damaged, but also produce an accurate 3D model of the affected tile so that a replacement can be quickly produced. Clearly there's a secret 3D printer somewhere that spits out rubberized submarine tiles, but we have no idea where it might be. 

 

Via Creaform3D