Laser foot scanners and structured light scanning technology are two commonly used technologies in the field of foot scanning, each with its own characteristics. There are certain obvious differences in their principles and performance.
Laser foot scanners use the principle of laser triangulation measurement.
In simple terms, a laser scanner emits a laser beam that shines on the surface of the foot. When the laser beam hits the surface of the object, the reflected light is received by the sensor. Since the surface of the foot is uneven, the angle at which the laser is reflected back will vary. The sensor can calculate the surface morphology of the foot by detecting these changes in the reflected light. Using this method, the laser scanner can accurately capture high-precision three-dimensional data of the foot, making it particularly suitable for accurately scanning complex curved surfaces of the foot.
In contrast, structured light scanning technology works by projecting a series of known patterns of light (usually stripes or grids) onto the surface of the object, and then capturing the deformation of these light patterns using a camera. Analyzing the deformed patterns allows the scanner to obtain depth information of the object’s surface. Structured light scanning can scan large surface areas in one go and also performs well on complex curved surfaces, especially for scanning relatively flat areas with higher efficiency.
In terms of performance, laser scanners have advantages such as high precision, particularly in capturing fine details. Since the angle of laser reflection changes very slightly, the sensor can accurately measure each detail, allowing the laser foot scanner to effectively display subtle differences in foot curves, the big toe, and the sole. Additionally, laser scanning is almost independent of lighting conditions, and the scanning accuracy remains relatively stable even when ambient light changes significantly.
However, structured light scanning technology also has its advantages. Since structured light scanning typically uses visible light, it is more adaptable to various environmental conditions, especially lighting conditions, compared to laser scanning. Structured light scanning is characterized by fast scanning speed, making it suitable for quickly scanning larger areas, and it is especially more efficient when scanning larger foot surfaces.
However, structured light scanning has a drawback when high precision is required, especially for capturing fine details, where some errors may occur. Since structured light mainly relies on the deformation of the pattern to obtain depth information, it tends to generate larger errors when scanning complex curved surfaces.
