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Sony XZ1 and Sony XZ1 Compact: The smartphone becomes a 3D scanner
by Dominik Bärlocher
Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact 3D scanner: What this means for consumers
11.12.2017
Translation: machine translated
Video: Dominik Bärlocher, Stephanie Tresch
Sony smartphones are known for new tools at affordable prices, even when the average user has no use for them. This one is the unexpected 3D scanner feature in the XZ1 Compact. What are the implications of unleashing this technology on the masses? Let's find out.
Video Producer Stephanie Tresch and Senior Editor Dominik Bärlocher were there when the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact was unveiled at IFA 2017 in Berlin. Now everyone is asking themselves; what can we do with the last big feature of the Compact, the three-dimensional scanner?
3D printers for consumers, VR headsets and now 3D scanning. They were all released long before we thought about what we wanted to do with them. As a product designer, my 3D printer has improved my prototyping and stimulated my everyday life. This naturally leads to more 3D modelling.
From this perspective, I was hoping that the 3D scanner in the XZ1 Compact would be a tool that could potentially take some of the work off my hands. But before we start daydreaming, I had to find out how this technology works and what it means for a possible application in practice.
Behind the curtain
Under the right lighting conditions, you get what at first glance looks like a very impressive 3D model of a person or object in OBJ format. But at the end of the day, it's just a high poly mesh with all the colours and lights reduced to a texture, pasted onto the grid.
What does that mean?
The scan is a rough approximation of the object in real life. The data is cleverly retouched. The lights, colours and details that are placed around the 3D model hide many a flaw.
The mesh consists of a huge amount of polygons. So it would take a lot of tinkering to create a model with the same level of detail as a scan from the XZ1 using only human labour.
Don't get me wrong, getting this result just by walking around a model with a mobile in my hand is very impressive. But the possible applications for real life are reduced by the result. The way the system currently works, there are very few, very specific use cases.
If you are interested in looking at the files yourself; we have published some examples of them for download:
The impact
Sony is promoting the new gimmick by claiming that you could be the first to have a three-dimensional avatar on popular social media channels. Really, I don't see how that could be an incentive. On the other hand, I never thought tablets would have a market, and the world proves me wrong every day.
Another option - and according to Sony, a reason to buy - is augmented reality photos. Specifically, this means that you can insert your model into a virtual environment. Again, however, I can't see any further than some funny pictures that could have been taken in Photoshop.
The most extravagant idea of the system is that you can use the model in another app. Specifically, you can stick your scan onto a virtual body and then make this body dance. Stephanie demonstrated this in the video from IFA.
And finally, an actual selling point: 3D printing.
If you export the file for 3D printing, or print directly from the mobile, the app will add a base with the name of the object. This is an elegant way to get rid of the uneven surface created by scanning.
To bring the product to life, you have two options:
- Print it with your own 3D printer
- Use the service of a company that makes 3D prints for a fee
Most consumer 3D printers are currently limited to one or two colours. There are signs on the horizon that multi-colour printing will soon be a reality. But nothing has been announced yet. So be prepared for a longer wait.
The monochrome print from the current king of 3D printers, the Ultimaker 3, shows: The end result is not intoxicating without the colours. If you use Full Colour Sandstone, the most common option for commercial colour printing, your object will be very fragile and have a sandy finish. Not ideal for prototypes and handling in general.
The right application
I can understand that you are not yet fully convinced after reading the text. I can't blame you, I wouldn't be either. But wait, there's more!
In the article where we introduced the mobile, someone saw the real potential of this feature long before the rest of us did.
As a 3D artist, there is definitely an application for 3D scanners. There is a reason why this exists in the first place :)
Maybe you have already come to the same conclusion while reading this article: Yes, games, VR or 3D animation can benefit from this technology.
For example, you're in a VR adventure and there's a mirror somewhere or you can see your reflection. How cool would it be if you could see yourself in this reflection? How cool! By uploading a self-made 3D scan, the game no longer has to guess how pretty you are, but everything is delivered ready-made from your mobile. Or you could upload Stephanie's scan and shake a leg with her.
This is just one example of how this technology could be applied to the average user. It has immense potential, but even to me it wasn't obvious at first glance what the 3D scanner in the XZ1 would be good for. Let's just hope that Sony takes it seriously and makes more of it than it is at the moment: just a gimmick.
What would be the first thing you would do with a 3D scanner? I'm sure there are crazier, more creative applications out there just waiting to be discovered. And who knows, if I like your idea, maybe I'll give it a try.
A small note at the end: Digitec does not provide a three-dimensional Stephanie. If you want to dance, try Luca. <p
Mariana Hurtado
Grafik-Designerin
m@arianahurta.doI might be a graphic designer, a Pokémon trainer and tech-savvy but I'm no creative writer. I'm on a non-stop quest against bad design. Since 2014, I call Switzerland my home.
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