3D Scanning Market Trends

Statistics for the 2023 & 2024 3D Scanning market trends, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. 3D Scanning trend report includes a market forecast to 2029 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry trends analysis as a free report PDF download.

Market Trends of 3D Scanning Industry

Structured-light Scanner by Hardware Type to Drive the Market Growth

  • A structured-light 3D scanner is a 3D scanning device for measuring the three-dimensional shape of an object using a single light source projecting multiple lines on the object being tracked by a camera or multiple cameras. This contrasts a laser scanner, which emits various laser dots on a single object, one after the other.
  • Applications, such as reverse engineering of objects to produce CAD data, volume measurement of engineering parts, motion, and environment capture for augmented reality games, body measurements for fashion retailing, automated optical inspection in high-speed manufacturing lines, and obstacle detection systems on unmanned aircraft, have been actively deploying structured light scanners.
  • By offering capabilities such as fast and no setup time, handheld 3D scanners conveniently integrate the same. Thus, multiple handheld 3D scanners for 3D printing have been deploying structured light technology. The technology uses trigonometric triangulation by projecting a light pattern onto the object to scan.
  • The growing adoption of robots in the industrial sector will support the growth of the 3D scanning market. A structured light 3D scanner consists of a video projector and multiple cameras. The 3D scanner can be attached to a robotic arm, automatically moving around the object and 3D-scans it from all angles. These scanners can perform quick surface scans with the finest resolution in the range of a few microns and the highest accuracy.
  • However, a significant downside of this type of scanner is sensitivity to the lighting conditions in a given environment, which poses a significant issue in working outside.
3D Scanning Market: Estimated Annual Industrial Robot Installation, in Thousands, Europe, 2020-2024

North America to Account for Major Share

  • The United States is one of the most significant and consequential 3D scanning markets globally, with healthcare, aerospace and defense, architecture and engineering, 3D Digital Corporation, research and education, entertainment, and media as the significant, largest, and among some of the most advanced.
  • 3D scanning opens up boundless possibilities for artists, allowing them to translate their most fantastic ideas into reality. For instance, the US media and entertainment (M&E) market, which is 33% of the global M&E industry, is the largest M&E market in the world, especially 3D animation production in the country, which houses the animation studios such as Disney and Pixar. The technology drives forward the movie industry and video games - many stunts and visual effects would have been difficult or even impossible to bring off before the advent of 3D scanning.
  • Furthermore, the government invests in helping Canadian creative industries expand their global reach. For instance, in August 2022, the Federal government announced investing USD 11.2 million into 29 publishing, television, and video game companies, further supporting the market growth.
  • Due to Canada's commitment to public access to healthcare, the government spending on healthcare exceeds 10% of Canada's GDP, one of the highest percentages in the developed world, equating to well over USD 5000 in healthcare spending per capita. These, coupled with the increased demand for plastic surgery, prosthetics, amputation, etc., provide new 3D scanners and scanning technologies.
3D Scanning Market- Growth Rate by Geography

3D Scanners Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2024 - 2029)