An Exclusive Look at the PhoXi 3D Scanner Gen3: Our Interview with MVPro Media

Following the launch of our groundbreaking PhoXi 3D Scanner Gen3, the team at MVPro media sat down with Marcel Svec, our Strategy & Product Lead, to get an in-depth look at the technology. We are excited to republish the full interview, originally featured in MVPro's print edition (pages 12 - 13), for our online audience. Read on to discover how the Gen3 is engineered to solve the most accuracy-critical tasks in automation.

Marcel, congratulations on the new launch. What was the primary goal behind the development of the PhoXi 3D Scanner Gen3?

Thank you. We wanted to create a single device that could tackle the most demanding, accuracy-critical tasks in automation. The Gen3 is the result of that vision - a top-of-the-line scanner that allows to use vision guided robotics for even more challenging objects and connect it to 3D inspection capabilities.

How do its hardware upgrades translate into real-world benefits for your customers?

The 5.1 MP resolution allows the scanner to capture 60% more 3D points than the previous model. This means our customers can now on one side navigate oriented robot picking by smaller details on the object or use the same 3D camera for vision guidance and inspection. 

Detecting these flaws early in the production process is crucial for speeding up the cycle times, reducing costs of using additional systems and therefore implement quality control in more cells, leading to increased efficiency of the production line 

The Gen3 also includes an integrated RGB camera. Why was it important to combine 3D data and color texture capture?

We see a demand to do multiple operations in the robotic cells that were previously only used for robotic guidance based solely on 3D data, e.g. to read bar codes or distinguish products or features by various properties which are typically evaluated on the RGB image. 

By combining 3D with RGB, our customers gain more versatility in where they can deploy the system while reducing costs of integrating another vision system.

How does Gen3 deal with challenging materials?

This is one of the advancements we're most proud of. The Gen3's blue laser technology provides up to 2.5 times better scan completeness on a huge range of complex surfaces. 

Whether it's reflective metal, dark, plastic, or rubber objects, the scanner captures clean, complete data without missing areas. 

The scanner is being promoted for everything from fine detail inspection to long-range logistics. How can one device excel at such different scales?

This is thanks to our modular architecture, which allows us to build different models with specialized FoV. Each model benefits from the mentioned improvements either in speeding up the acquisition time or by allowing them to scan much further distances. 

At longer distances, the resolution of the point cloud is naturally less dense, which is nicely compensated by the higher resolution sensor. Therefore it is possible now to pick objects more accurately from larger distances without compromising the cycle time.

How does the Gen3 ensure continuous operation?

We’ve introduced an autonomous maintenance feature of our cameras that allows the system to correct itself automatically and provide customers with hassle free operations during the year, without the requirement for special accessories or procedures.

Thank you for your time, Marcel. How can people learn more or see the 3D scanner in action?

To learn more about how this next-generation technology can transform your operations, watch the launch webinar or contact Photoneo for more information on photoneo-sales@zebra.com. 

To get even better insight into the PhoXi 3D Scanner Gen3 capabilities and possibilities for your use case, check out the dedicated page.