DIY Scanner Hardware

The e-light software anlone is not super useful without the right hardware.
Make sure you have:

• a projector to project the patterns
• at least one camera to capture the images
• a computer to run the software
• a mounting solution to hold the projector and the cameras in place (e.g. a tripod)
• (optional) a rotating stage/turntable to rotate the object
• (optional) any other positioning system

The Projector

e-light does not require a specific projector, you can use any projector that can be controlled by a computer as a second monitor (e.g. via HDMI or VGA).
To get best results, it is recommended to use a good DLP projector (it is usually not important to have a super high resolution), but you have to make sure you will be able to focus the image on the scan area.

The Camera

The camera is the most important part of the setup. e-light can work with any camera that can be controlled by a computer:

• industrial cameras (e.g. Hikrobot, Basler, IDS, etc.)
• smartphone
• Adrucam modules
• webcam

The camera should be able to capture images at a high resolution and (for best user experience) framerate.

Industrial cameras

Industrial cameras are usually the best choice, but they are also the most expensive. They provide consistent and reproducible results. If you’re an individual, you may want to check out the get-cameras.com website. Note that usually USB cameras are the best choice if you’re looking for high framerate and ease of use.

Smartphone

You can use any Android smartphone with a high resolution camera. DroidCamX is a good choice if you want to use your smartphone as a webcam, it allows you to connect your smartphone to your computer via USB or WiFi and use it as a webcam.

Adrucam modules

Arducam has a wide range of cameras, you can look for a module that can be used as a webcam, for example the Arducam IMX477 module.

Webcam

This is usually the worst choice as low cost webcams usually have a low resolution and super high noise which they try to remove with aggressive noise reduction algorithms, heavily compromising the image quality.

The Computer

Any modern Windows 11 computer should be able to run e-light, but in order to get fast scan times, you should make sure that your computer has a good GPU and CPU, and high speed USB ports.
Usually scan data takes up a lot of RAM, so it is recommended to have at least 16GB of RAM.

Mounting Solutions for the Projector and Camera

For a DIY setup, we recommend to use a tripod to hold the projector and the camera(s), connected by some mounting plate like in figure:

You may also opt for a much more simple setup, using some small tripods to hold the components separately. This is not recommended since it is very sensitive even to the smallest vibrations on the connecting cables.

In any case, you should make sure that the projectos-cameras bundle does not deform during the scan (even by a single pixel), otherwise the accuracy will be affected and e-light may fail to reconstruct the object.

Rotating Stage/Turntable

To scan an object, you will usually need several scans from different angles. You can do this manually, but if you have a rotating stage or a turntable, you can automate the process and get better results both in the calibration process and in the final scan.

You may bring your own rotating stage or turntable. You can build one using Arduino or any other system, you will be able to interface with the software via simple Python scripts if your solution is not supported out of the box.

Please refer to the custom hardware for more info. You can skip this and proceed without a rotating stage as a first approach to the e-light software.