Design and implementation of an immersion 3D scanner. Development of the scanning technique and machine manufacturing

Abstract

[EN] In this research, an underdeveloped 3D scanning technology is presented. It consists of immersing an object in a liquid, and using Archimedes' principle to get its volume. Measuring many times the volume of different slices of the object can be obtained. If the scan is performed with an object with axial symmetry, immersing it along its symmetry axis, the object can be rebuilded stacking cylindrical slices one over the other. This method can also have applications in quality control or supporting other techniques.

The research also covers the development of a 3D scanner. It works using a load cell to measure buoyant force, and moving an object up and down in order to immerse it in water. It is controlled with an Arduino, which receives commands from an external controller using serial connection or MQTT. The firmware to make it work is also explained. To control it from a PC, a Python application has been developed too, to communicate with the Arduino and scan objects. Finally, the scanner was able to scan objects with axial symmetry with adequate precision.