Roadmap / Manufacturing / Digital Industry
3D scanning and recognition adoption
Update · October 2026
Progress is in line with our expected timing.
Our original analysis (2021)
3D scanning is rapidly gaining popularity in many industries. It is an amazing advance that will have an impact on everything from reducing the weight of aircraft to buying custom-fit jeans. The technology uses optics and software to “scan” real world objects from a number of angles to create a digital representation of those objects. It then can use software to create measurements and comparisons that can be used to modify or confirm design intent.
Credit: NASA
3D scanning will accelerate product development, increase quality control accuracy, and document changes to a process over time. Combined with the advances in AI and digital twinning, it will become a standard tool for nearly every business.