(^82) The Official Raspberry Pi Projects Book raspberrypi.org/magpi
Pi Zero Ws and cameras are
housed in laser-cut 5 mm single-
walled corrugated cardboard
Tubes, of varying lengths,
are attached to each other
using connectors and self-
adhesive touch fasteners
When someone stands inside
the frame, Take Photo is pressed
on the laptop software, and the
images are taken and saved
hile learning to make
her own clothes, Poppy
Mosbacher wanted to
visualise how they would look before
she made them, and she began to
think about how digital technology
tools could help.
At first, she considered using a
body scanner, but after talking to a
friend, she learned that high-end
3D scanners using DSLR cameras
can cost as much as £40 000. Just as
bad, the cheapest alternative – of
simply walking around an object
or person and taking lots of photos
with a single camera – proved slow
and frustrating.
It was then that her friend and
member of the not-for-profit
makerspace Build Brighton, Paul
Hayes, suggested that it might be
easier to make a DIY version of a 3D
scanner using Raspberry Pi boards.
Projects SHOWCASE
Poppy Mosbacher has created a relatively inexpensive full-body 3D scanner,
and she hopes maker groups will enjoy replicating her project!
The project’s
Pi boards
are named
after Marvel
characters
Poppy wanted
the build
to cost less
than £1000
The images
are processed
using Autodesk
ReMake
Build Brighton
members got
fully involved in
the project
It uses mains
electricity, so
be careful!
Quick
Facts
3D BODY
SCANNER
W
Before long, Poppy had secured a
£1000 grant from Santander, which
she used to buy 27 Pi Zero Ws (each
snapped up by a different Build
Brighton member to get around
the one-per-customer rule). She
also bought 27 Camera Modules, 27
Pi Zero camera cables, and 27 USB
to micro USB cables, as well as an
assortment of battery packs, power
regulators, wire connectors, and
other electrical items.
When everything is set up, the 3D
Scanner Camera Coordinator software
allows the user to access the dashboard
and click the Take Photo button
POPPY MOSBACHER
A FabAcademy student with an
MA in Sustainable Design who
won a Blue Peter robot design
competition, aged eight.
magpi.cc/2xRmUjR