How Does a 3D Scanner Capture Objects?

There are several 3D scanning technologies. Laser triangulation projects a laser line onto an object and a camera at a known angle captures how the line deforms over the surface, calculating depth from the distortion. Structured-light scanners project grid or stripe patterns and use cameras to measure how the patterns warp. Time-of-flight (LiDAR) scanners emit laser pulses and measure the return time to gauge distance. Photogrammetry uses multiple photographs from different angles and software algorithms to reconstruct geometry. All methods produce a point cloud — millions of 3D coordinates — which is then processed into a polygonal mesh for CAD, animation, or 3D printing.