Parallel Structured Light & Blue Laser: Your MotionCam-3D Color (Blue) Questions Answered 

Since its launch, the MotionCam-3D Color with its innovative blue laser has generated significant interest. To provide deeper insight, we're revisiting the detailed Q&A sessions from our launch event. 

During our live launch event, our experts tackled everything from core technology to real-world performance and now we've compiled the entire discussion into this Q&A post for your reference.

Let's get straight to it!

The Story Behind Technology

What is the story behind Photoneo's technology, and what makes this new camera special?

Photoneo was founded about 12 years ago by a group of passionate pioneers from  Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. Their goal was to build a 3D sensor that could scan objects in motion without being compromised by vibrations.

This led to the development of our own proprietary CMOS sensor and the creation of our core patented technology: Parallel Structured Light.

The core idea is to swap the traditional roles of the projector and the camera. Instead of projecting multiple light patterns in a sequence (like other structured light sensors), the MotionCam-3D projects a single, uniform light pattern. 

The magic happens on our custom CMOS sensor, where the pixels are designed to collect light in a structured way, effectively perceiving and recording multiple patterns simultaneously - hence the name "Parallel Structured Light." This is what allows for high-quality, blur-free 3D scanning.

The new MotionCam-3D Color (Blue) boosts this performance significantly by incorporating a revamped, high-performance blue laser projection unit. Combined with a new set of algorithms and software tools, it's capable of tackling more challenging materials and environments, making its performance unmatched by competitors.

Performance and Specifications

What resolution can be achieved, especially when scanning in motion?

The MotionCam-3D can achieve a resolution of up to 2 megapixels, even while scanning objects in motion.

It's also important to distinguish between pixel resolution and resolving power. With the new blue laser, the projected speckle is smaller and the light is sharper and brighter. This means the camera can capture a greater amount of detail, so the effective resolving power of the system is significantly better than with previous models.

What is the maximum Frames Per Second (FPS) of the new camera?

The core FPS spec remains the same. The maximum speed in dynamic mode is  20 FPS, and in static mode, it's up to 2-3 FPS, depending on the exposure time.

The key improvement from the blue laser is not a higher FPS but a much shorter required acquisition time. You can now scan the same scene in a fraction of the time. For example, the new Laser Class 3R model allows for 50% longer working distances or 2 times shorter exposure times

How accurate is the new model? Could it scan a race car with 10mm accuracy in under 20 minutes?

This is an interesting application that touches on creating a digital twin. Achieving this level of accuracy for a large object depends heavily on the entire scanning methodology, not just the sensor's accuracy.

• Sensor Accuracy: The device itself delivers excellent accuracy, which is further enhanced by the blue laser's sharper projection.
• Stitching Algorithm: For a large object like a car, you would use our 3D Instant Meshing software to stitch multiple scans together. While the algorithm is highly precise, each subsequent scan can accumulate a tiny error. Going all the way around a car and closing the loop perfectly with a handheld scanner might be challenging to keep under a 10mm total accumulated error.

Improving Accuracy: For the highest precision, we recommend a more controlled setup. By mounting the camera on a robot arm or a linear axis, you can use the known positions (transformations) from the robot as a pre-alignment for the scans. Our software can then use this information to perform a final, highly accurate alignment.

Hardware and Design

Did the form factor of the device change?

Yes, but only very slightly. The device is based on the same construction, but the form factor has changed by a few millimeters (11 mm larger) due to a redesigned, more efficient cooling system required for the new blue laser projection unit. This change is minor and should still be compatible with existing mounting solutions and casings, as we always recommend leaving 25mm of clearance on each side for airflow.

How have you improved temperature stability and resistance to vibrations?

We are constantly improving our temperature calibration models and methodologies for all our products, and the new blue laser model benefits from these latest advancements.

Furthermore, we've made significant revisions to the mechanical build and chassis of the device, improving its overall ruggedness. This enhanced mechanical stability directly contributes to better temperature resistance and vibration resistance, making it well-suited for mounting on a robot arm.

Is eye protection required for the more powerful blue laser?

No, eye protection is not required. While the projector emits more light, we achieved this through a complete redesign of the projection unit's optics, not by moving to a more dangerous laser class. We are able to provide significantly more light while staying within the same laser safety classes.

Our products remain available as Laser Class 2 and Laser Class 3R, providing exceptional performance without additional safety requirements.

How do you filter ambient light with a blue laser while still capturing a color image?

This is a great question. The MotionCam-3D Color (Blue) actually has two separate camera units inside:

1. The Primary 3D Camera: This is our proprietary CMOS sensor used for 3D estimation. It is equipped with a specially designed optical bandpass filter tailored to the specific wavelength of the blue laser. This filter blocks out all other ambient light, allowing only the laser light in and maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio.
2. The Secondary RGB Camera: This is a standard color camera responsible for capturing the color texture. It does not have a bandpass filter (only a standard IR cut filter) and accepts all incoming light from the visible spectrum to capture a high-quality, true-to-life color image.

The data from these two sensors are then perfectly aligned and combined in software.

Software and Features

You mentioned new maintenance tools. What are they and how do they work?

To complement the improved mechanical ruggedness, we are releasing a new suite of software-based tools to help users verify and maintain the camera's calibration in the field. This includes:

• Autonomous Maintenance: This new feature, available in PhoXi Control (in GUI and via API), allows the device to automatically check and correct its calibration model if it detects any potential issues caused by mechanical stress, strong vibrations, or even a minor physical impact.
• Maintenance Tool & Marker Dots: These provide additional methods for users to manually check and compensate for calibration issues right on the factory floor.

These tools ensure the device maintains its peak performance and accuracy over time, even in demanding industrial environments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-V5pFmLE6I&feature=emb_logo

What devices will the Autonomous Maintenance feature be available for?

Autonomous Maintenance will be available for all new MotionCam-3D Color and PhoXi 3D Scanner Gen3 devices shipped from the end of May 2025 onwards. This includes both the new blue laser variant and the standard red laser variant.

Does the autonomous maintenance feature help with cleaning dust off the camera?

No, the Autonomous Maintenance feature is a software-based solution for checking and correcting the camera's internal calibration. It cannot physically clean the device.

If dust accumulates on the sensor's windows, it will obstruct the view and impact performance. The device will still need to be cleaned manually as part of a regular maintenance procedure. For particularly dusty environments, we recommend using a protective housing.

If I want to use multiple sensors, do I need a specific high-end PC?

It depends on the application.

• Using the API: If you are using our API to run multiple sensors, you can do so on any computer that meets the standard recommended specs in our user manual. Synchronization between the cameras (e.g., via hardware triggering) is managed by the user.
• Multi-view / Meshing: If you are using our advanced software features like Multi-view scanning (in Bin Picking Studio or Locator Studio) or our real-time meshing software, a more powerful vision controller is required. Specifically, our meshing software, which merges data from multiple sensors in real time, requires an NVIDIA GPU. However, a top-of-the-line GPU is not necessary; a basic or mid-range model is sufficient.

Pricing and Availability

Will the price of the blue laser model be similar to the previous version?

Yes, the pricing is very similar. There is a slight difference, but overall, the cost is almost the same. Given the significant performance increase delivered by the blue laser technology, we believe the value proposition is now even better. For exact pricing and offers, please contact our sales representatives.

For more details, please visit the product page on our website or feel free to contact us directly. 

If you're still not sure which 3D sensor by Photoneo would be the best fit for you, click on the image below to download the application fit guide and find the device that would best serve your needs.