1999 Press Releases

Polhemus' FastSCAN Handheld Scanner Instrumental For Medical Applications Requiring 3D Modeling
-From orthotics and prosthetics to reconstructive surgery and body casting-
BOSTON, MA, July 14, 1999 - Polhemus Inc., a leader in 3D motion capture, tracking, and digitizing technologies, today announced it will demonstrate its new handheld laser scanner FastSCAN at INTERBOR.

Creates Affordable 3D Models in Real-time
As the industry's most compact handheld laser scanner, FastSCAN provides users with a fast, flexible, and attractively-priced system for scanning 3D objects. Instead of bringing the object to the scanner, practitioners take FastSCAN directly to the patient - anywhere in the world.

Critical tool for developing 3D medical applications
"FastSCAN provides medical practitioners with a critical tool for developing systems that require 3D modeling," said Bill Panepinto, Polhemus' Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "We're seeing great interest in using the scanner for reconstructive surgery, prosthetics and orthotics. We've also seen a lot of excitement in applying the technology for creating precise body casts and spine analysis for scoliosis patients"

Instantly create an exact 3D replica
"What makes FastSCAN so unique in the market is its ability to stitch the scanned object together in real-time," continued Panepinto. "Utilizing Polhemus' six-degree-of-freedom tracking technology, the "magic wand" knows exactly where it is at all times in relationship to the object being scanned- and transmits this information to the imaging software which instantly stitches the pieces into an exact replica."

Scan where no scanner has gone before…
"Its handheld wand makes it much more convenient to use than the stationery scanners on the market today," Panepinto added. "This means you can scan patients that shouldn't be moved, and you can scan delicate areas that you don't want to risk touching directly. You can also scan in sensitive locations, such as R&D labs, or a medical examination room. You can also scan with speed- which is critical in dealing with patients. "

Seamless compatibility with many industry standard software programs
By offering seamless compatibility with many industry standard software programs, FastSCAN addresses many of the issues that users face when importing position data into third party software programs. Supported formats include: Open Inventor; 3D Studio Max® (.3ds); ASCII Points (.txt); AutoCAD Points and 3D Faces (.dxf); IGES Points (.igs); Lightwave Object (.lwo); Matlab Mesh (.mat); STL (.stl); Virtual Reality Modeling Language (.wrl), and Wavefront Object (.obj), as well as many other popular application software packages.

Pricing/Availability
For pricing and availability call RSI ++49(0)6172-93409-0. Volume discounts available.

About Polhemus, Inc.
Polhemus, founded in 1970, is the recognized world leader of 3D motion capture technology. Its product family includes the award-winning STARHTRAK®, ULTRATRAK® PRO, and FASTRAK® solutions, used by approximately 70% of the market. Polhemus solutions allow companies to combine realistic movement with animation for use in motion pictures, commercials, games, biomedicine, and military simulations. Polhemus' growing portfolio of customers includes Sega Enterprises Ltd., Visualization Technology, Inc., and Tracer Corporation.

STARTRAK, ULTRATRAK PRO, and FASTRAK are registered trademarks of Polhemus, Inc.