
Do you think a GoPro camera is just for your kids? Think again. You might now have an excuse to buy one for work.
In this 2nd installment in the series on innovation, we’re going to look at one of the hottest technologies in the world of action sports and how it is being used to effectively scan data. Check out how Autodesk ReCap now supports data from a GoPro Camera. As you watch the video below and see how easy it is to create 3D scans of a complex skate park, think about how you might uses this technology for shipbuilding and repair.
I believe that the potential for using the GoPro camera and ReCap is enormous. Think about it. Has your organization ever started a retrofit of a ship without having updated layout designs in CAD? If your company is like many I’ve talked to, the answer is probably, “yes”.
You know that this is a problem and you know that 3D scanning technology has been around for ages and could be of great benefit. However, you’re concerned about the complexity and want to know the exact details in order to determine whether scanning is worthwhile.
That’s a valid concern. So let’s examine things more closely so that you have a better understanding of what is involved.
Often, the most difficult part of the process is managing the scanned data in your CAD tool. Clients often ask 3 main questions before venturing down this path:
- How do we scan our product?
- What is the quality of the scanned data?
- How do we post process the data so that it’s usable in our CAD tool?
All of these questions are dependent on your exact product. For shipbuilding, we’re trying to scan large areas to gather as-built information for spacing and layouts. Since you’re looking for a general idea of spacing, you don’t need a very high quality scan. Vice versa, scanning a hull or a complicated surface would need a higher end scanner to bring in a higher quality point cloud.
Now let’s see the process in action.
Here we can take a look at how you can scan the ship and bring it into ShipConstructor via Autodesk’s ReCap Technology.
What does this mean for shipbuilding?
Autodesk’s ReCap technology is groundbreaking in the shipbuilding industry. Often times, shipyards do not have as-built models for refits and retrofits. Fortunately, ReCap provides a very effective way to understand the internal layout of a ship right inside ShipConstructor, AutoCAD, and Inventor. You can also use ReCap to have a documented as-built model before you deliver the ship.
Interested?
Please contact SSI for information about how you can utilize this technology on your future projects.
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