Recently the offices of the company Artec were visited by a rather unusual group. Children? No, it would be difficult to call them children, since their heads are occupied with thoughts and ideas that not every adult‘s brain could accommodate. Students of the ”Logos” educational center – not an ordinary school - came to become acquainted with the technologies and traditions of Artec. Logos is a place where future top-flight specialists in physics and mathematics are trained. The fundamental working principles of the center were formed based on many years of practical experience with gifted children.

The Artec team, in turn, supported the initiative of the organizers of the center and greeted the students as potential colleagues. Judging by the attentive faces in the audience during discussions of the scanning technologies and principles involved in working with our devices, and by the active questioning by the students, it is clear that the main goal of the meeting was attained – the students were intrigued by the activity of the company. And who knows, perhaps in the future one of them will come up with an absolutely new algorithm or will invent a new principle of scanning.

The students got to know the life of the company from within, and even practiced scanning. Moreover, upon leaving each young genius took with him a flash drive containing a 3D copy of himself produced by Artec staff. The 3D portraits of the students can be seen in the gallery of the company’s web site.

The students were satisfied with the trip and returned to their studies inspired by what they saw, with new ideas and a desire to implement them.

In the future, Artec is considering continuing contact with “Logos” and other educational centers. After all, it is there, in the favorable and creative environment of youth, that the birth of the Teslas and Einsteins of the 21^st century is taking place!

May 08, 2012 – Artec Group, the leaders in 3D imaging and scanner technology, today announced the unveiling of their new Artec™ Eva 3D Scanner at the CONTROL Expo in Stuttgart, Germany (Hall5, Stand 5530). Light, fast, simple to use and priced for businesses of any industry, Eva represents the next generation of 3D scanners.

Three years after delivering its first scanner to the market, and helping everyone from law enforcement to video game production, and medical research to product quality assurance, the Artec Group is now bringing its crowning achievement, Eva, to market around the world.

“We have been redefining industry expectations for 3D scanning technology for years,” said Artem Yukhin President and Chairman of the Artec Group. “Today we take our biggest step forward, and are unveiling the scanner that delivers on decades of industry promises“.

What Sets Eva apart:

• Capture objects in seconds

Simply turn it on and walk around the object recording. The scanner captures up to 16 frames per second and each frame is a 3D image.

• Extremely light and truly portable

Only 850 grams (1.9lbs).

• High speed and accurate

Captures and processes 288,000 points/second. Scans a dozen times faster than a laser scanner.

• No markers, no EM tracking, no calibration

No cumbersome calibration. No markers on objects before scanning. No electromagnetic tracking.

• Luminous color

Captures color information at 24 bits/pixel (bpp), with a resolution of 1.3 megapixels (mp).

• Capturing motion

Scan moving objects at up to 16 frames/second.

• Software is included

Powerful and constantly updated software, all included.

• Unlimited Applications

Automotive, medicine, preservation, computer graphics, entertainment, design, forensics, education, reverse engineering, architecture, and quality control are just a few industries where Artec technology is becoming indispensable.

For more information about the Artec Group, Inc. and Eva please visit www.artec3d.com

About Artec Group, Inc.

Artec Group, Inc. develops and manufactures innovative 3D solutions and products. The company, headquartered in Luxembourg, consists of a team of high-caliber specialists who have been working together for more than 10 years, and who are the leading experts in capturing and processing 3D surfaces, as well as face recognition. Artec’s products and services are used in medicine, media and design, entertainment, fashion, heritage preservation and industrial engineering, among many others.

On May 8, 2012, at the Control show in Stuttgart, Germany, Artec will be unveiling “EVA” – a much anticipated, new 3D scanner in our model line-up. Come visit us at our stand and be the first one to see our beautiful EVA in person.

Hall 5, Stand 5530

Do you already own an Artec 3D scanner? Do you plan to purchase another one? Receive a 10% discount on your next purchase, by sharing with us how you use your scanner. For more details on this offer, please contact your reseller or Artec directly.

Country: Russia

Field: Computer Graphics/ Animation/ Special Effects

Service Work performed by: Artec Service Division

Scanner used: Artec MH

Main Road|Post, a visual effects production studio, was set up in 2006. The studio worked on visual effects for well-known movies and series like Wanted, The Inhabited Island, The Admiral, The High Security Vacation and others. One of the studio’s latest projects is a movie called ‘August Eighth’, a film by Dzhanik Fayziyev. Main Road|Post used an Artec 3D scanner for special effects in this movie.

‘August. Eighth’ is a Russian war drama about the armed conflict of 2008 between Russia and Georgia. A single mother finds herself in the epicenter of the war trying to save her son. A few days before, she had sent him to see his father, her divorced husband, and grandparents. When the war starts, she decides to travel there to save her son.

Aside from the war, there is another theme present throughout the movie: the boy has a giant robot as an imaginary friend. In his imagination, they fight an evil android. When the conflict escalates, the boy imagines that all bombing, killing and destruction is the work of the evil robot.

Why Artec 3D Scanners?

Artec 3D scanners were used to create full 3D body doubles of the little boy during dangerous stunts.

Michael Lyossin, CTO at Main Road|Post explains: “We needed to create a digital body double of the boy for extreme stunts and dangerous scenes. Most of them were shown as wide shots, others as medium shots, so the 3D model had to be very accurate”. To create the model Main Road|Post used an Artec MH scanner. “Of course we could have modeled the character by hand, but this would have cost us a lot of time”, said Michael, “the digital body double is used all throughout the film. The movie opens with a fantasy of the boy that shows him with his robot friend. This is where the 3D model played a major role.”

The process

Watch the video below to see how the boy’s body and face were captured. Scanning the whole body took about 5 minutes.

Handcuffs, boots, shoulder pads and belt, all parts of the boy’s costume, were scanned, too. In the end, Main Road|Post had a complete digital full body model of the actor in 3D.

This model was then exported into Topogun, a resurfacing and maps baking application used in graphical design.

Michael’s team first worked with the model’s topology (applying a net onto the model) and made sure all isolines were properly aligned along the body. “With the Artec 3D model as a basis, we saved a lot of time in doing this. There is no need to double check the body’s proportion, for example”, states Michael.

Main Road|Post is glad to work with Artec and when asked for suggestions on how the scanners could be improved, they expressed their wish for increased accuracy. Artec continually invests in R&D and will strive to improve accuracy in the next generation of scanners.

The outcome

Many scenes in ‘August. Eighth’ were shot using this full body 3D model. Michael Lyossin comments: “No one should be able to spot the difference between the real actor and his digital double. This is what our work was all about: making them look as similar to one another as possible”.

‘August.Eighth’ came out in February 2012, and by March more than 1.5 million viewers had a chance to enjoy the hard work of the creators.

Image belongs to CANCAN

CANCAN was introduced to Artec 3D scanners by Z SPOT MEDIA, Artec’s authorized reseller in Romania. Capturing Simona with Artec MH scanner was a matter of minutes. This model is often used for capturing the human form. Watch how Artec scans “Romanian’s Pamela Anderson”:

The 3D model was edited in Artec Studio. Saved as an STL file, it was then imported into Rapidform’s XOR software to prepare it for printing on a BFB 3D Touch printer. A few moments later, Simona held a tiny plastic replica of herself in her hands.

Claudiu from Z SPOT MEDIA reports that “CANCAN was amazed by Artec’s 3D scanning technology” and their readers were, too! To check out the article in Romanian, click here.

The scanning was organized by CHESS Experience, a European project that aims to integrate research into digital storytelling at cultural sites. The objects scanned by IMA Solutions will be used for interactive iPhone and iPad applications by the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

IMA Solutions purchased the Artec MHT scanner from BOREAL, an authorized Artec reseller in France.

New exhibits

( Louisa Gouliamaki, AFP/Getty Images / December 5, 2011 )

“A member of a French research team scans a sculpture in the archaic gallery of the Acropolis Museum in Athens. The museum organized a press tour to present its new exhibits and the work conducted by restorers when the museum is closed to visitors.”

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-pod5sculpt20111205061202,0,7385722.photo

The sculpture of David was made by Michelangelo in the fifteen hundreds. For centuries, people marveled at the artist’s handicraft: the 5-meter statue was almost real. Initially, this statue was meant to guard the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio, former town hall of Florence. To shield it from wind and rainfall, it was transferred into the halls of the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts. An exact plaster copy of this impressive sculpture can be found at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.

And this is exactly where Artec employees headed to capture Michelangelo’s sculpture in 3D. To reach the top of the 5 meter giant, the museum provided the team with a special elevator. As Artec 3D scanners are lightweight, it was possible to hold the scanner in hand and easily capture the statue by moving up and down on the lift.

Artec technology doesn’t require placing any sort of markers on the object, thus making the scanner an invaluable tool in capturing historical and archeological artifacts. To increase detalization of the 3D model, the team decided to use two types of 3D scanners – Artec L and Artec MH. The L scanner was used to capture the whole sculpture, as it was developed for digitalization of large objects. To capture smaller details like hair, eyes and nose, the team used the Artec MH scanner. The accuracy of this scanner allows you to get 3D copies of mid-sized objects. This method of combining two different scanner types is particularly helpful when the object itself is large but has intricate, complex details on it as well. Click here to read about another instance where two scanners were better than one.

In the end, scanning of this large statue took a few hours. Watch the video to see how we did it:

Also check out Artec’s website gallery to find other 3D models of objects scanned at the museum. A virtual gallery will allow the Pushkin Museum to attract young people and bring its collection closer to the audience and onto their computer screens.

NOTA BENE: Recently, we received a wonderful little present from Artec’s authorized reseller in the Netherlands, 4C. Edwin Rappard, the proprietor of 4C took a scan of David and printed it on a 3D printer (Solido SD300).

This mini replica (20 cm tall, weighing 150 g) was a lovely gift that we will always treasure. Similarly, copies of other museum pieces could easily make their way into souvenir shops which so often appear to be the only way out of museums… what a mystery!

Artec 3D Scanners are being used all over the world! One of the most exotic places our scanners wound up in, is New Caledonia… yeah, well, we weren’t sure that we could place it on the map, either. Now we can! It’s a French island off the coast of Australia.

We thought it would be fun to have a few pictures that show where Artec 3D scanners live! So we are announcing a competition to award the best photo of an Artec 3D scanner in your home country.

The winner receives a prize worth 1000€!

What to do: Take a picture of your Artec 3D scanner in such a way, that anyone looking at it can quickly identify what country this scanner is being used in. Get creative and feel free to use any props and hints you feel will help.

Who can participate: Anyone who owns at least one Artec 3D scanner.

When to do it: For your pictures to qualify we need to receive them by 31^st March 2012.

Where to send it: Please send photos as large .jpg files (at least 1MB) to press@artec-group.com. And please include the scanner’s serial number in your letter.

What will you win: The best three photos will be featured on our website. The winner can chose between

6 months of warranty for one of his Artec 3D scanners

or

one extra license of Artec Studio 8.0 software

Each prize is worth 1000€! We look forward to receiving your snapshots! We hope you will have as much fun making them, as we will have sorting them!

Your Artec Team

During its first five years, Artec has seen a lot! The company grew and flourished from an enthusiastic start-up to a globally respected market leader, amid the world financial crisis.

To celebrate our birthday we offer a 5% discount on all Artec 3D scanners! If you have been thinking about getting one for yourself, now is the time! Check out our full product range here to see which 3D scanner will fit the needs of your business best. You can contact one of our authorized resellers in your country and ask them about the 5% discount.

Let’s raise our glasses in celebration and toast to another great 5 years together!

UPDATE!

Our birthday discount, just like our birthday party, was incredibly successful! Many partners and clients were asking to extend the offer. This is why we have decided to extend the 5% discount for another two weeks!

The offer will be valid until 25^th March!