FARO launches handheld 3D laser scanner for AEC industry

 FARO Technologies announced the launch of new FARO Scanner Freestyle3D, an easy, intuitive device for use in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) and other industries.

The Freestyle3D is equipped with a Microsoft Surface tablet and offers real-time visualisation by allowing the user to view point cloud data as it is captured. The Freestyle3D scans to a distance of up to three metres and captures up to 88K points per second with accuracy better than 1.5 mm. The patent-pending, self-compensating optical system also allows users to start scanning immediately with no warm up time required.
Jay Freeland, FARO’s President and CEO said, “Following the successful adoption of our Focus3D scanners for long-range scanning, we have developed a scanner that provides customers with the same intuitive feel and ease-of-use in a handheld device.” The portability of Freestyle3D enables users to manoeuvre and scan in tight and hard-to-reach areas such as architectural preservation and restoration activities. Memory-scan technology enables Freestyle3D users to pause scanning at any time and then resume data collection where they left off without the use of artificial targets.

The Freestyle3D can be employed as a standalone device to scan areas of interest, or used in concert with FARO’s Focus3D X 130 / X 330 scanners. Point cloud data from all of these devices can be seamlessly integrated and shared with all of FARO’s software visualisation tools including FARO SCENE, WebShare Cloud, and FARO CAD Zone packages.