3D Scanning a Bike Frame to Keep the SpartanVelocity Team Moving

The Digital Scholarship Lab recently provided 3D scanning services to SpartanVelocity, an electric motorcycle racing club and an Engineering Department student group operating out of the MSU William A. Demmer Engineering Center. Joshua Klapperich, one of the team members, brought their e-bike project to the DSL to create a digital model of a motorcycle frame component to modify using SolidWorks CAD software and fabricate at the Demmer Center.   Working with an earlier prototype, the team set a goal of making a bike from an existing motorcycle frame, but they needed help getting the frame digitized into a usable model. 
 
The DSL's 3D Einstar handheld scanner and software helped make this happen. Using the scanner, Paul Cooper Jr, Transformative Technologies Coordinator, introduced the future engineers in the process of scanning, meshing and merging models for a usable design. The students worked with the initial scan, returned and updated missing data with an additional overlay, and then refined their work using SolidWorks. 

3D scanning can be used to create physical representations for manufacturing or game design assets. The resources of the Digital Scholarship Lab provide access to these tools to create content for use in these practices, and for use in curriculum through digital artifacts or printable replicas for use in class. For more information or to arrange a consultation, contact us through our Get Help page