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The Edge: The Fuel3D Scanner: Point, Shoot, Capture
Novedge: Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do
Stuart Mead: Hi! I’m Stuart Mead, CEO of Fuel3D. Before coming to Fuel3D, I worked for a number of technology start-ups, most recently I was the CEO at a bionic technology developer, Touch Bionics.
Novedge: What is the Fuel3D?
Stuart Mead: The Fuel3D is a high resolution, low-cost 3D scanner that captures both shape and color. To do this it combines both photometric and geometric imaging techniques, which is a world's first. Check out our recent blog on how the technology works.
Novedge: How tech savvy do you have to be to use a Fuel3D?
Stuart Mead: Not particularly. The scanner itself is pretty much point-and-shoot. You do need to understand a little bit about what the system works well on (textured, organic objects), and what is more challenging (non-textured or highly shiny objects). We also have a recent blog post that talks about how to use the system.
Novedge: What are some of the applications and benefits of using this technology?
Stuart Mead: 3D scanning has many applications, including design, creating 3D assets for video games, 3D printing and so on. Fuel3D has a very competitive price point which opens up this technology to the pro-sumer, and we expect to see many new applications arising because of this.
Novedge: What software do you recommend for preparing the scans for 3D printing? Why?
Stuart Mead: Fuel3D will ship with some software for processing and editing images, however for advanced tasks you may need a more sophisticated package. We have partnered with Uformia, who produces the MeshUp software tool. This is the perfect complement to Fuel3D in that it provides easy-to-use advanced editing features.
Novedge: You received great support on Kickstarter: what advice would you give to anyone looking into financing their project using that platform?
Stuart Mead: Kickstarter is a fantastic platform for generating interest and initial support. We are extremely grateful for all of our early supporters, particularly those who have signed up for beta test. We strongly support the Kickstarter model and would recommend it for others. It is, however, a lot of work to prepare and run a quality Kickstarter project so you need to follow the rules and be ready to put some time in!
Novedge: What's next for you?
Stuart Mead: Kickstarter is just the beginning for Fuel3D. With the support shown we have been able to ramp up our development efforts and we are looking forward to getting the system out there into the world!
Althought Fuel3D has already surpassed its fundraising goal, there are still 4 days left to donate to the project on Kickstarter, check it out. You can also keep up to date with the development of this scanner on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
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