Image credits and source versions

OpenScan Mini with polarizer module, shown in its build guide ↗ · OpenScan project · GPL-3.0
Printed front plate from the OpenScan Mini assembly guide ↗ · OpenScan project · GPL-3.0

CAIBI ASSESSMENT

OpenScan Mini

CAIBI VERDICTBUILD IT

A compact open-source photogrammetry scanner that rotates small objects through controlled camera positions to create detailed 3D models.

See what the build involves Original source ↗

Build or buy?

Compare the documented build with the purchase reference.

Build it yourself

Configuration prices£199 / £331Choose configuration to budgetBasic kit / fuller kit; check camera and computer inclusions

Time: Not published
Difficulty: 3/5
Physical processes: 3D printer · Raspberry Pi · Photography

See build requirements →

Purchase reference

Buy price reference£799Revopoint MINI 2Recorded 5 Sep 2026

Check the source for the exact model, availability and what is included.

Check comparison evidence →

Prices are not directly comparable

What the prices cover

Current OpenScan kit pricing already recorded in the assessment.

Includes: Selected OpenScan kit route.

Not included: Camera/computer items not included in selected kit; Shipping; Photogrammetry workstation.

Build evidence recorded 4 Sep 2026. Currency conversions are approximate.

Revopoint MINI 2 is a useful small-object scanner comparison, but it offers different optics, software and metrology claims. The difference is therefore a cash reference, not an equivalence claim.

UK purchase/source reference ↗US purchase/source reference ↗

BUILD AT A GLANCE

Source view and main parts

Check the source ↗

**OpenScan Mini with polarizer module, shown in its build guide**OpenScan project · GPL-3.0Source and version ↗

OpenScan Mini · OpenScan ↗

PHYSICAL BUILD7 key parts or groups

No.	Source specification
01	3D printed OpenScan Mini frame
02	Raspberry Pi 3B+ or 4 with microSD card
03	OpenScan Pi Shield and two stepper drivers
04	Two NEMA 17 stepper motors
05	Arducam IMX519 autofocus camera
06	Ring light and cross-polarizer module
07	12 V power supply

Full source specifications

3D printed OpenScan Mini frame, rotor, gears, backplate and object holders
Raspberry Pi 3B+ or 4 with microSD card
OpenScan Pi Shield and two stepper drivers
Two NEMA 17 stepper motors, one higher-torque and one lower-torque unit
Arducam IMX519 autofocus camera, with supported Pi Camera alternatives
Ring light and cross-polarizer module
12 V power supply, ribbon cable, screws and nylon camera hardware

TOOLS / PROCESSES3 involved

3D printer
Raspberry Pi
Photography

The real-world work

YOU STILL HAVE TOThe real-world work

Print parts
Assemble motors and camera
Prepare objects
Capture scans
Validate dimensions

THE BUILD SEQUENCE

How it comes together

1Preparation

Choose Mini V1 or a community V2 route
For the most supported path, use the maintained Mini V1 documentation and matching parts. OpenScan explicitly warns that the evolving designs and electronics are not all cross-compatible.
YOU
Print the scanner structure
Print the frame, rotor, gears, backplate and holders. The Mini is designed to fit a standard 20 x 20 cm print bed.
YOU

2Build and assembly

Assemble the motion system
Install the two NEMA 17 motors, rotor gearing and object holder so the object can rotate and tilt through repeatable camera positions.
YOU
Install camera, lighting and electronics
Fit the Raspberry Pi, shield, camera, ring light and polarizer module. The Arducam IMX519 autofocus module is the current reference camera in the V1 documentation.
YOU

3Configure and test

Bring up the browser-controlled scanner
Install the OpenScan firmware and verify local browser control, motors, camera focus and lighting before attempting a detailed scan.
AI + YOU
Capture, process and validate a known object
Prepare a suitable surface, capture a full image set, process it using OpenScan Cloud or local photogrammetry software, then compare the mesh with the physical object before trusting dimensional results.
AI + YOU

Benchmark this project

Use the OpenScan Mini prompt. Compare what different models deliver, then add what happened when you tried it.

Try this benchmark

View the project prompt

CAIBI adaptation · Prompt 1.0 · Project source

Prompt for OpenScan Mini

CAIBI project benchmark: OpenScan Mini
Prompt version 1.0

Help me build OpenScan Mini using the existing creator project at https://github.com/OpenScan-org/OpenScan-Doc/blob/main/docs/hardware/OpenScanMini.md. This is a CAIBI benchmark adaptation of the project build brief, not a claim about how the creator used AI.

Project context:
- A compact open-source photogrammetry scanner that rotates small objects through controlled camera positions to create detailed 3D models.
- Build context: 3D printed OpenScan Mini frame, rotor, gears, backplate and object holders; Raspberry Pi 3B+ or 4 with microSD card; OpenScan Pi Shield and two stepper drivers; Two NEMA 17 stepper motors, one higher-torque and one lower-torque unit; Arducam IMX519 autofocus camera, with supported Pi Camera alternatives; Ring light and cross-polarizer module; 12 V power supply, ribbon cable, screws and nylon camera hardware.
- Where AI helps: Scan workflow planning, Image and mesh troubleshooting, CAD cleanup guidance, Configuration help.
- Physical work: Print parts, Assemble motors and camera, Prepare objects, Capture scans, Validate dimensions.
- Main limitation: Scan quality still depends on lighting, surface preparation, focus, object positioning and photogrammetry processing. The hardware does not make every object easy to scan.

Read the source first. Use its published design, files, dimensions and parts as the baseline; do not redesign it unless a missing detail requires a clearly labelled proposal. If you cannot access a source or verify a revision, say so.

Provide one practical build package:
1. Design and files: explain the source design, link the original editable files, and identify missing files or modifications.
2. Parts and fabrication: give quantities, exact variants and compatibility, plus a cutting or printing list where applicable. Preserve source dimensions; flag anything unconfirmed.
3. UK and US purchasing: direct product links, checked dates, stock, pack sizes, taxes, delivery and regional costs. Mark unverifiable details as unknown; do not invent links, prices or availability.
4. Assembly: an ordered guide covering fabrication, fitting, wiring or software as applicable, setup, checks and troubleshooting.
5. Cost and time: separate parts, fabrication, delivery, hands-on time and machine time, with assumptions and exclusions.
6. Function and ease: a test plan for the project's stated purpose, likely difficulties, required skills and any corrections or limitations.

Keep source facts, your proposals and items needing physical verification distinct. An estimate is not a measured build result. Do not claim to have built or tested hardware. Include failed attempts and omissions. If a section does not apply, say why.

Use the source as accessed during this run and record its revision or access date. The prompt is fixed; the linked source can change.

Open and copy prompt →

Benchmark results 0

No reviewed results yet for OpenScan Mini. Add the first result →

AI IN THIS PROJECT

Get AI help on this build

CAIBI · AI CAN HELP

AI can help with

Scan workflow planning
Image and mesh troubleshooting
CAD cleanup guidance
Configuration help

CAIBI · AI CAN'T DO

You still need to

Print parts
Assemble motors and camera
Prepare objects
Capture scans
Validate dimensions

Original source AI use and prompts

SOURCEThe original project does not publish an AI prompt

The prompts below are CAIBI helpers for this build. They are not presented as instructions from the creator.

CAIBI STARTING PROMPTS

Copy a prompt for this build

Each prompt tells AI to keep the original project source as the reference and to flag anything you must verify on the real build.

Ways to take it further

AFTER THE FIRST BUILD

Ways to take it further

Community Mini V2 frameDifferent supported Pi cameraLocal photogrammetry instead of OpenScan CloudCustom object holdersAutomated scan presetsReuse the electronics in OpenScan Classic

More routes and resources

OTHER WAYS TO GET THERE

You do not have to follow one route.

ORIGINAL BUILDFollow the creator route

Use the published files and instructions as the baseline.

OUTSOURCE A PROCESSGet specialist fabrication done

You do not necessarily need to own every capability used here: 3D printer, Raspberry Pi, Photography.

ALTERNATIVE PROJECTImageGenCam

A buildable Raspberry Pi camera designed around a Codex-assisted hardware and software workflow.

REVIEWED RESOURCES

Useful places beyond the main source

GITHUB REPOOpenScan-Design

Current design repository containing Mini V1/V2 files, printing guidance, assembly guidance and community modifications.

GITHUB REPOOpenScan-Doc

Current hardware and software documentation for supported OpenScan configurations.

DOCSOpenScan Mini hardware guide

Current Mini V1 BOM and hardware guidance, including supported cameras and printed parts.

DOCSOpenScan Mini product and configuration page

Current supported kit configurations, scan volume, camera options and processing routes.

SOURCE · CAIBI · BUILDERS

What supports the verdict

SOURCEOpenScan

OpenScan currently maintains Mini V1 hardware kits and documentation. Community Mini V2 designs also exist, but the project warns that parts are not automatically cross-compatible.

Open source ↗

CAIBIBUILD IT

It turns physical objects into reusable digital geometry with an unusually accessible open hardware route. AI can help with scan preparation, photogrammetry workflow, cleanup and adapting the printable frame.

Evidence: Strong

BUILDERSNo published reports yet

Actual time, cost, changes and outcomes appear here after submitted builds are reviewed.

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HAVE YOU MADE THIS?

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First-hand evidence improves the assessment

What we want to know

What happened when you actually tried to make it.

Did it work?
Actual time and cost
What did you change?
What was harder than the source suggested?
Would you build it again?