Early this year we covered the announcement of the launch of bq’s open source 3D scanner, the Ciclop. The device, which has since become one of the higher rated stationary 3D scanners on the market, uses laser triangulation technology and a compact rotating table to scan objects as large as a volleyball. The company, at the time, called it the ‘first DIY 3D scanner’ on the market.
Because of its open source framework, as well as 3D printable components, the Ciclop has become a favorite among the DIY community, allowing users to iterate upon its design while sharing those designs with the community to ultimately create an even more robust product.
When it comes to open source and 3D ‘anything’, there is one company that seems to encompass the entire philosophy of forgoing the patent process and enabling an industry to collaborate for the better good of the entire community. That company, Aleph Objects and their Lulzbot brand is known for their quality open source 3D printers and they have taken the industry by storm, growing at a clip that far exceeds most 3D printer manufacturers on the market.
Today LulzBot has announced a partnership with bq to offer the Ciclop open source 3D scanner in kit form, to those in the United States, for a price of just $400.
“After years of searching, we are proud to offer a developer-friendly, Free Software, Libre Innovation, and Open Source Hardware desktop 3D scanner on LulzBot.com,” explained Harris Kenny, marketing manager at Aleph Objects. “The Ciclop expands what’s possible through the LulzBot platform, and we look forward to working with the community to advance 3D scanning together.”
The scanner, once assembled, can achieve resolutions as high as 0.5mm, utilizing a Logitech C270 HD Camera and 2 Class 1 line lasers. It can scan an object within 2-8 minutes and is relatively simple to assemble. If you are all about the open source movement, love 3D printing your own components for your gadgets, and interested in a stationary 3D scanner, then this is likely a product for you.
LulzBot is also giving away two of these Ciclop kits for simply posting at there forum, or replying to a post that has been made at the Reddit 3D Scanning community. Additionally, the company has also donated a total of three Ciclop scanners to Flock, the Fedora Contributor Conference. Fedora, for those unaware, offers support for Cura, LulzBot Edition, and is a GNU/Linux project that has a main goal of advancing open source software.
I have personally not had the opportunity to try this scanner out, however, I did manage to see it in person at CES back in January and have to say I was thoroughly impressed by its design. I’ve also heard positive remarks from those who have used this device. It will be interesting to see how the market reacts to this 3D scanner now that it’s available here in the United States. Let us know if you’ve purchased the Ciclop 3D scanner and what your thoughts on this device are. Discuss in the LulzBot bq Ciclop Scanner forum thread on 3DPB.com.
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