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Smartphones: smarter than I thought

Smartphones, I learned, can be used to 3D-scan objects

It happens to all of us at some point. We say or write something that turns out to be untrue.

For me, these gaffes are usually directed at my wife, at which point I’m eating humble pie for what feels like an inordinately long time. Oh, well, that’s life after 39 years of wedded bliss.

Recently I posted a blog in this space that contained untrue information. Sorry about that.

In my February 28 blog, titled “OK, Boomer, time to 3D -scan and -print the future,” I implied that 3D-scanning objects with a smartphone was not yet possible.

Well, that was just plain wrong, as I discovered three days after the post went live. An article on the Sculpteo site explains how to make a 3D scan with a smartphone.

There’s no need to go there—at least not until you’re done reading the rest of my apology. In fact, I didn’t even read the Sculpteo piece. I instead opened the App Store on my iPhone, typed in 3D scanning, and grabbed the first app on the list (there’s a bunch of them to choose from).

Within five minutes, I’d installed the app, clicked through the developer’s lame attempts to get me to upgrade, and created a 3D-printing-ready KipMask.stl file.

Granted, it still needs a little work, but I anticipate that it will be a popular disguise at Halloween.

Anyway, I’m sorry about the misinformation. There’s a lot of it floating around these days, and I didn’t mean to add to the heap—especially when it’s about 3D printing. So with that behind me, I’m going to shut down here for a while and go back to my new hobby: 3D-scanning practically everything in the house.

It’s much more enjoyable than eating crow—or humble pie.

About the Author

Kip Hanson

Kip Hanson is a freelance writer with more than 35 years working in and writing about manufacturing. He lives in Tucson, Ariz.