3D Scanning Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

[Report Description]

The 3D scanning market was valued at USD 1.428 billion in 2020, and it is expected to reach USD 4.69 billion by the end of 2026, with a CAGR of 22.21% during the forecast period (2021 - 2026). Though 3D scanning technology has not penetrated substantially into the residential and private settings, these devices are prominently used to produce video games and movies in industries, such as entertainment and media. Other industrial applications where these devices are found to be of great use are architecture, construction, aerospace, healthcare, and automotive, among others, where these can be used for onsite parts production. 3D scanners have been a part of the innovations led by a growing number of applications.

Key Highlights

• 3D scanning technology witnessed considerable adoption from commercial applications. Further, the flexibility of the technology to be customized to meet professional needs in various industries has made it profoundly popular across major end-user industries.


• Furthermore, in the construction industry, 3D scanners are used to create a scaled 3D structure of a building. In the architectural industry, these devices help in preserving and archiving historical monuments from museums. Due to this technology s customizability and scalability, manufacturers rely on measurement accuracy and speed when building and developing advanced military and defense systems, using 3D scanners in making weapons and vehicles, such as frigates.


• In the medical sector, 3D scanners are used to model body parts in three dimensions, which are used to create prosthetics. It can also be used to facilitate wound healing and care and generate body implants. Recently, SHINING 3D launched a new handheld 3D scanning device, the EinScan Pro HD, to capture up to 3 million points per second. This makes it applicable to users in digital medical analysis.


• Additionally, the rising adoption of 3D printing technology in various industries is one of the major factors thriving the adoption of 3D printers. As the adoption of 3D printers is growing, the need for 3D scanning systems will also increase simultaneously, driving the studied market growth. 3D printers are experiencing this inflection point, likely because companies across multiple industries are increasingly using 3D printing technologies for more than just rapid prototyping.


• 3D scanning as a non-contact technique helps the thoracic chest scanning for COVID-19. The outbreak of this respiratory disease led to the utilization of 3D scanning technology as a useful tool to detect and quantify COVID 19 virus.


• Using the 3D scanning technology to help protect the people working on the front line led Artec to offer their 3D scanners for medical training purposes. Therefore, as of July 2020, Artec Eva, a 3D scanner system by Artec, was used to make hyper-realistic dummies for COVID-19 medical training. Across such emergencies, accuracy and precision to avoid damages in allied procedures can cost a lot. Thus, training on a silicon body has made a practice possible via sophistication achieved across 3D scanning technologies.

Key Market Trends

Structured-light Scanner by Hardware Type to Drive the Market Growth

• A structured-light 3D scanner is a 3D scanning device for measuring the three-dimensional shape of an object using a single light source projecting multiple lines on the object being tracked by a camera or multiple cameras. This serves as a contrast to a laser scanner, which emits various laser dots on a single object, one after the other.


• Applications, such as reverse engineering of objects to produce CAD data, volume measurement of engineering parts, motion and environment capture for augmented reality games, body measurements for fashion retailing, automated optical inspection in high-speed manufacturing lines, and obstacle detection systems on unmanned aircraft, have been actively deploying structured light scanners.


• By offering capabilities, such as fast and no setup time, handheld 3D scanners conveniently integrate the same. Thus, multiple handheld 3D scanners for 3D printing have been deploying structured light technology. The technology uses trigonometric triangulation by projecting a pattern of light onto the object to scan.


• In August 2019, the Cobalt Design Structured Light Scanner family from FARO looked at 3D data capture capabilities across small, complex shapes with varied textures and colors. The scanners could capture millions of measurement points in as little as a second, with up to 3.1 Mpx accuracy for small to medium complex objects. Recently launched, Polyga’s H3 handheld 3D scanner offers structured light as a base for a multi-imaging pattern for 3D capture, with prices starting at USD 9,990.


• However, a significant downside of this type of scanner, being sensitive to the lighting conditions in a given environment, poses a significant issue in working outside.

North America to Account for Major Share

• The United States is one of the most significant and consequential 3D scanning markets across the world with healthcare, aerospace and defense, architecture and engineering, 3D Digital Corporation, research and education, entertainment, and media is the significant, largest, and among some of the most advanced.


• 3D scanning opens up boundless possibilities for artists of any kind, allowing them to translate their most fantastic ideas into reality. For instance, the US media and entertainment (M&E) market, which is 33% of the global M&E industry, is the largest M&E market in the world, especially 3D animation production in the country, which houses the animation studios such as Disney and Pixar. The technology drives forward the movie industry and video games – many stunts and visual effects would have been difficult or even impossible to bring off before the advent of 3D scanning.


• In December 2019, Polyga Inc., a Canadian developer of 3D scanning and mesh processing technologies, announced the launch of the HDI Compact S1 entry-level professional 3D scanner at Formnext. The exact pricing has been kept at USD 5,999 to cater to applications, such as 3D printing, reverse engineering (Scan to CAD), and scientific research, along with an essential quality inspection.


• Owing to Canada’s commitment to public access to healthcare, the government spending on healthcare exceeds 10% of Canada’s GDP, one of the highest percentages in the developed world, which equates to well over USD 5000 in healthcare spending per capita. These, coupled with the increased demand for plastic surgery, prosthetics, amputation, etc., give way for new 3D scanners and scanning technologies.

Competitive Landscape

The 3D scanning market is fragmented. Overall, the competitive rivalry among the existing competitors is high. The new product innovation strategy of large and small companies is giving rise to the 3D scanning market. Some of the key developments in the area are:

• March 2021 – Creaform announced the release of their new lineup for HandySCAN 3D, known as the SILVER series. Creaform is a leader in portable and automated 3D measurement solutions. This SILVER series of scanners offer the best value for money and captures repeatable and highly accurate 3D measurements of a complex surface at any location.


• October 2020 - Artec 3D released a new algorithm for 3D scan called HD Mode. This is an AI-powered algorithm to redefine the work of their Leo scanners and Artec Eva. It provides the capability to scan at resolution from 0.5 mm to 0.2 mm and capture images at far finer details.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format


• 3 months of analyst support