Surface 3D Scanner Using Time of Flight Ranging Sensor with Cylindrical Coordinate System

Abstract

3D scanner that uses image sensors requires the role of a computer that includes a data generator, data acquisition, and visual display. In a simply system, it can be designed the sensory system uses non-imagery sensor so the role of the data generator can be handled by the microcontroller. This research aims to make a simple 3D scanner using inexpensive non-imagery Time of Flight VL53L0X sensor and data processing can be processed directly by the microcontroller. The results of sensor distance measurements are processed on the microcontroller and desktop application. The distance and angle values are converted into Cartesian coordinate using cylindrical coordinate system. The scan results of the cubes, prisms and cylinder are similar with the reference object, but the results of the pyramid test at the top cannot be scanned properly due to the narrow surface. The laser beam from the emitter cannot bounce back to the collector properly makes distance reading is inaccurate and causes error in the point cloud conversion. The comparison error between the side of the scan results and the reference object is between 2.54-39.8%. The surface of objects with bright color has a smaller error than those with dark color. The comparison error of the height of the scan results with the reference object is between 5-32%. The angle of the emitter exclusion cone and the collector exclusion cone sensor affects the error at the side and height of the scan results.