MDS500 3D Dental Scanner

Our choice to enclose the Maestro 3D scanner in a dedicated chassis, rather than leaving it completely open as is often seen today, reflects our company's philosophy. Our primary goal is to achieve the best results in terms of accuracy, precision, resolution, and repeatability in scanned 3D models. The Maestro 3D system is based on advanced structured light technology. This technology involves the projection of special light fringes onto the object being scanned, while cameras capture hundreds of images in which algorithms identify the transition of fringes from white to black. In other words, it is necessary to precisely identify the edge of each light fringe, not just the fringe itself. To achieve this sub-pixel level of precision, it is essential to have very high contrast between white and black. A completely open scanner would drastically reduce this contrast, as ambient light would influence the scene. Reduced contrast results in lower precision and accuracy. That's why we chose to protect the scanner with a closed chassis, eliminating any interference from ambient light.

The cameras used in the Maestro 3D scanner are monochrome. This choice is due to the algorithms that work with structured light or its variants, which seek the edge of each light fringe in the image. Therefore, a high contrast between white and black is essential, making the grayscale image perfect for recognition. Working with color cameras would not only fail to contribute to recognition but also reduce the information available to the algorithm. This is because color cameras require sensor space to represent each pixel with three channels (Red, Green, Blue), while monochrome cameras use space only for grayscale representation. Since a grayscale image is required to identify the edges of light fringes, a monochrome camera provides much more detail than a color camera. Even if we chose color cameras, we would still need to convert the image to grayscale through software, losing a lot of information.

The monochrome cameras in the Maestro 3D scanner benefit from white light, while the use of blue light or its variants would result in lower image contrast. The projection of white light allows for the 100% use of RGB channels on the projector sensor, thereby achieving high brightness and contrast. On the other hand, using blue light or other variants would require the use of less intense channels, resulting in lower brightness and reduced contrast. If the goal is to maximize precision, accuracy, and resolution in 3D scans, white light is the superior choice compared to blue light. Blue light may be preferred for scenic and entertainment purposes, but it is not suitable when seeking the highest scanning quality.