Samsung has patented the concept of using a movable mirror to direct light beams in a scanner to retrieve spatial data and scan an object in three dimensions.
(Image credit: samsung)
(Image credit: Samsung)
The patent, filed in September of 2009, is rather general and aimed towards "mobile robots" and "mobile devices" that are designed to identify "surrounding objects." I may be wrong, but my first guess would be that this technology is targeted at automotive technology that could be a stepping stone toward autonomous driving systems.
According to Samsung, the 3D scanner integrates a "rotating drive generating a rotating force; a mirror holder tiltably supporting a reflecting mirror and rotated by the rotating force of the rotating drive; a cam having a guide groove in an outer circumferential surface thereof and rotatably disposed above the mirror holder; and a tilting drive connected with the guide groove, wherein the tilting drive vertically reciprocates along a path of the guide groove and tilts the reflecting mirror connected via a rod."
Besides the mechanical description, there is no information how image data would be generated and recorded.
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Douglas Perry was a freelance writer for Tom's Hardware covering semiconductors, storage technology, quantum computing, and processor power delivery. He has authored several books and is currently an editor for The Oregonian/OregonLive.
