Assessment of 3D Scanners for Dimensional Verification of Boat Molds

This study presents a comparative analysis of two portable 3D scanning technologies, structured light and LiDAR, applied to the reverse engineering of fiberglass boat molds. Key aspects such as acquisition speed, data completeness, resolution, feature detectability, and operational usability were evaluated. Due to the absence of a CAD reference, a relative geometric deviation analysis between the overlapping regions of the scans was performed. Results indicate that while the LiDAR-based scanner offers rapid and comprehensive coverage suitable for large-scale geometry capture, the structured light scanner provides higher resolution in localized areas but requires more careful setup and markers for effective scanning. The complementary nature of these technologies suggests potential advantages in hybrid scanning strategies for marine manufacturing applications.