Verbatim Books storefront — mural by Armando Hernandez. Captured with Scaniverse on an iPhone XS and processed in Area Mode. View it in 3D.

Over time, we’ve heard from many people who have wanted to try Scaniverse, but were unable to without a LiDAR device. Since we believe that anyone can be a 3D content creator, we’ve been working hard to resolve this issue. We’re excited to announce that Scaniverse 2.0, available today, brings the same 3D scanning capabilities that previously required LiDAR to non-LiDAR devices as well.

Captured with Scaniverse on an iPhone XS and processed with Detail Mode

What devices are supported?

Scaniverse now supports all iOS devices with an A12 processor or later. This includes all iPhones starting with the iPhone XS, and most iPads released in the last 4 years. Check on the App Store for the full list of devices we support.

Creating high-quality scans without LiDAR

The same general scanning tips apply to both LiDAR and non-LiDAR scans. Additionally, we recommend:

  • For objects, people, and smaller scenes, process your scan in 

  • For rooms, buildings, and large spaces, choose Area Mode. Since non-LiDAR devices rely on visual cues to determine depth, avoid getting too close to blank walls and featureless surfaces, where it’s harder to determine depth.

Captured with Scaniverse on an iPhone XS and processed with Detail Mode

Powered by Niantic Lightship

LiDAR uses an active sensor, measuring depth based on the time it takes for light to bounce off objects back to the sensor. For devices without LiDAR, we need to generate similar data using only the camera. To do so, we’re using ManyDepth, a technology developed at Niantic Research. ManyDepth combines neural networks with a multi-view cost volume to produce metrically-accurate, stable depth maps from sequences of 2D images. This allows us to reconstruct an accurate model of what you’re scanning as you move your camera around it.

This same technology is available to developers as the Depth API in the Niantic Lightship ARDK. You can use it to create immersive AR experiences where real-world objects can occlude AR content, virtual characters can navigate around the user’s environment, and more!

Captured with Scaniverse on an iPhone XS and processed with Detail Mode

Please download Scaniverse on your iOS device and give it a try. If you have feedback, send it our way at hi@scaniverse.com. We are working to continuously improve your scanning experience and scan quality on all of your devices, so stay tuned for more updates!