The Story Behind the FLEX
At botspot, our work has always revolved around pushing the boundaries of what's possible with 3D scanning, building systems that offer precision, speed and versatility for a wide range of industries. Our full-body scanner NEO has long been a benchmark for ultra-high-resolution scans. But even the best technology can present limitations. In the case of the NEO, that limitation comes down to one thing: logistics.
While the NEO delivers top-tier results, transporting and setting it up requires significant planning, space and manpower. As we listened to our customers, we began to hear a recurring theme: What if I could travel with the scanner myself, set it up quickly and scan people on-site within a single day, anywhere in the world? If the customer only requires high-quality geometry 3D models, this starts to become a possibility.
That simple need sparked the beginning of our new product: Our new full-body scanner, the FLEX.
Rethinking the Full-Body Scanner
The idea took root during one of our internal brainstorming sessions. What would it take to build a full-body scanner that delivers accurate, high-quality geometry-only scans, while being compact enough for air travel and simple enough to be operated by a single person?
It became clear early on: if we focus solely on capturing geometry, not the photorealistic visual data (texture), we could make big changes to the design. For example, geometry-only scanning doesn't require complex lighting setups. That instantly opens up new possibilities. Without the need for controlled lighting conditions, we no longer needed to build the scanner into a closed environment or light-isolated box.
Another insight was just as impactful: optimizing for geometry allowed us to drastically reduce the number of cameras. Our proprietary botspot Digital Spray technology, a non-contact projection method that enhances the surface recognizability of even the most difficult materials, made it possible to capture highly detailed 3D geometry with fewer viewpoints. In fact, when combined with our automated processing pipeline, the geometry results started to rival those of our flagship 160-camera NEO system.
Designing for the Real World
With the technical elements forming, the physical, practical design also had to be considered: how could we make the scanner truly transportable?
Flight cases. Instead of building the scanner and then designing transport boxes around it, we decided to build the scanner into the transport boxes themselves. Each box would house pre-cabled, pre-configured components. At the destination, setup would involve nothing more than opening the case, unfolding the structure and stabilizing it.
But transportability isn’t just about size and form, it’s also about reducing complexity. One major bottleneck in traditional scanner setups is cabling: each camera typically requires a power cable, a trigger cable and a USB cable. With multiple camera systems, it starts to add up quickly.
Our software team tackled this by developing a wireless image transfer system, eliminating the need for USB cables entirely. After each capture, images are automatically downloaded to the scanning computer via WiFi. Power and triggering are managed via a streamlined setup, significantly reducing the total number of cables and making setup and teardown faster and less error-prone.
Custom Software Integration
A scanner is only as good as its software, and ease of use was central to this project from the start. We integrated our botspot Automation Suite, allowing the scanner to be controlled via a laptop through any modern web browser. Camera settings, scan initiation, naming conventions and image sorting are all handled in one application which can be run on any internet browser.
To ensure field-ready stability, we designed modular foot structures that anchor the setup to the ground, no matter the surface. Each scanner box connects to its neighbor via lightweight poles that easily screw into place, forming a rigid and stable frame. For added flexibility, we integrated two exit points into the structure to support smoother scanning workflows.
Meet the Future of Mobile Full-Body Scanning
After months of development, the result is a new kind of full-body scanner: one that combines portability, simplicity and accuracy in a way that redefines what's possible on the move. It’s light enough to fly, compact enough to carry and robust enough to scan with confidence anywhere, by anyone.
This new system doesn’t replace the NEO, it complements it. For high-end, high-resolution textured 3D models, the NEO remains the gold standard. But for geometry-first applications such as 3D printing projects and measurement extraction, our new portable scanner brings professional-grade results to any corner of the globe.
