Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: help putting together a complete system

With regard to producing busts by rapid prototype techonologies, one
outfit that has done some this of work is Zcorp in Burlington, MA.
They have licensed the MIT powder-based rapid prototype technology and
have done human models from laser-scanned input before. It would not
be cheap to buy one of their machines (something like $40k I think)
but they also offer a service of 'printing' files for people. (By way
of disclaimer, I work for the lab that developed the powder-based
technology). Last I heard they would run a free sample for you.

Building a laser scanner might be an interesting project... lasers at
least are a lot cheaper than they used to be, as is processing power.
I can think of two potential methods - one is to generate a scan line
with a laser and image it with a video camera aimed at an angle. The
other would be to build a laser rangefinder and fire it at a grid of
points. I'm not exactly sure how rangefinders work today (presumably
you modulate the laser with a sequence and then recover the received
phase delay) but we have one at work that produces results to a few
microns over about a half meter, although it requires a suitable
surface.

Chris

> Hi Joe,
> Are you tied to milling the bust? I don't know where you are
> geographically, but there is a cool installation at the SFMoma where
> an artist scanned peoples heads and then used a rapid prototype
> extrusion machine to make the busts. They were then hand painted. The
> names of the tools used escape me at the moment.
> --chris
>
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--
Christopher C. Stratton, stratton@...
Instrument Maker, Horn Player & Engineer
22 Adrian Street, Somerville, MA 02143
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