Study of uncertainty and repeatability in structured-light 3D scanners

Abstract: Structured-light 3D scanners create 3D models with high accuracy, but controlling the accuracy and repeatability of the scanner is essential. The objective of this paper is to analyze the repeatability and accuracy of two structured-light 3D scanners (Go!SCAN 20TM and Go!SCAN 50TM). The method used scans steel gauge blocks several times with different resolutions to analyze the scanned data and to test the correlation between uncertainty, resolution, and scanner model. The primary results include: 1) a systematic error of magnitude similar to nominal accuracy exists and must be corrected and 2) the global uncertainty is approximately 0.05 mm without significant differences between the two scanner models. A strategy for scanning is proposed based on the results at different resolutions.