Five Ways to Use the FaroArm That You Might Not Have Thought Of

Your FaroArm Does a Lot More Than You Might Think

It measures, it scans, is slices and dices. Okay, the FaroArm has not worked its way into kitchens around the world yet, but it is used for a lot more than measuring parts and capturing geometries in 3D. In fact, you don’t have to look far to find FARO customers using their Arms in interesting ways, like preserving historical artifacts or designing crash test dummies. 

No, your ScanArm will not cut through a hammer head and still be sharp enough to slice a red, ripe tomato. But, it can be used in all sorts of applications that you may not have considered. Here are a few.

Bringing History to Life

The Smithsonian Institution uses theirEdge ScanArm to create 3D models of ancient artifacts, including the remains of American naturalist, Robert Kennicott. Last year, the team put the finishing touches on a new bust of the explorer constructed from scan data and a 3D printed model of his skull. The Smithsonian isn’t alone in using the arm to document historic artifacts, either.

Teaching Moments

Own a CNC, waterjet, or robot?  Use the FaroArm to trace the surface of raw materials and digitize the toolpath before ever making a cut, just like KMT RoboticSolutions. In this way, we predefine a precise shape and “teach” the machine with a high degree of accuracy. Then, use the arm to measure the finished part and check it for accuracy.

Neat Little Packages

Fitting square products into round boxes – and vice versa – is not always the most effective way to package your newest innovation. Instead, scan your products with the ScanArm, import that data into any number of design programs (here, here or here) and design custom packaging that fits just right. It’ll look better and do a better job of protecting your products for resale.

Augmenting Reality

By adding a third-party camera to the ScanArm, we can combine real and digital imagery (augmented reality) to give the operator a virtual view of the parts to be inspected or assembled. Don’t believe it? See it here.

Making Smarter Dummies

Researchers from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRSI) are helping to create better crash test dummies (not the Canadian folk-rock band you remember from the mid-90s) through their research of driver posture and anthropometry. By using a FaroArm to capture data on driver position and the 3D locations of body landmarks, engineers can design better dummies that accurately mimic the response of the human body during a crash.  

Do you have a new or innovative way to use the arm that perhaps we haven’t mentioned here? Let us know in the comment section below or share it on Facebook.

Want to know more ways to get the most from your FaroArm? Contact FARO today and learn how.