State-of-The-Art and Applications of 3D Imaging Sensors in Industry, Cultural Heritage, Medicine, and Criminal Investigation

3D imaging sensors for the acquisition of three dimensional (3D) shapes have
created, in recent years, a considerable degree of interest for a number of applications. The
miniaturization and integration of the optical and electronic components used to build them
have played a crucial role in the achievement of compactness, robustness and flexibility of
the sensors. Today, several 3D sensors are available on the market, even in combination
with other sensors in a “sensor fusion” approach. An importance equal to that of physical
miniaturization has the portability of the measurements, via suitable interfaces, into
software environments designed for their elaboration, e.g., CAD-CAM systems, virtual
renders, and rapid prototyping tools. In this paper, following an overview of the state-of-art
of 3D imaging sensors, a number of significant examples of their use are presented, with
particular reference to industry, heritage, medicine, and criminal investigation applications.