The 3D scanning market is valued at around $4.5 billion and is expected to hit $8 billion by 2025.

Although 3D scanning has been around for a while, 3D body scanners have become one of the latest advancements in the industry. It has various applications in the health, fitness, and medical industries.

This article describes the 11 benefits of this scanner technology. Keep reading to learn more.

 

What Is 3D Body Scanning?

3D body scanners take a scan of the human body within seconds. It allows the person paying for the scansuch as a doctor, personal trainer, or a private individualto see how a body looks with detailed imagery.

The scanner's function is comparable to a Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) used in most fitness centers. However, a BIA can only track fat, body water, and muscle mass.

A 3D scanner takes advantage of far more sophisticated technological advancements.

Besides simple imagery, you can get detailed biometrics of every body part. This is helpful for clients in both medicine and fitness to get specific details on an area. For example, if they want to lose weight in their hips, they can get detailed information on their progress.

They can get progress reports on their body fat, circumference, and subcutaneous fat measurements. All of the data given is 99% accurate and allows businesses and clients to see bodies in an entirely new way.

This can allow them to make better decisions about their health and fitness goals.

 

What Advantages Do 3D Body Scanners Provide?

The advent of the 3D body scanner is bringing several benefits to the fitness, medical, and consumer product industries. These include everything from detailed body composition mapping to custom clothing design.

1. A Wide Range of Applications

Several applications for 3D body scanning are in use today.

These scanners can create 3D figurines. They also go by 3D portraits or selfies. They are miniature statues of real people. These prints are created combined with full-color 3D printers.

3D body scanners are also great to use to track the progress of body measurements in the fitness industry.

It is also beneficial for the fashion industry. It can accurately capture body measurements so businesses can create perfectly tailored and customized apparel.

It creates totally new opportunities both online and right in brick-and-mortar stores. It does this by creating virtual fitting rooms where shoppers can use a 3D version of themselves to try on clothes no matter where they are.

In the medical industry, it can be used to monitor a patient's body shape to find potential issues. It can also be used to create custom prosthetics or identify burn areas.

 

2. Provides Detailed Body Composition Information

When clients come to get their body scanned, they can get highly detailed body information, including their body fat percentage or their lean muscle versus fat mass.

By giving them this detailed information, they can set actionable goals that they can easily track for their health and body. This keeps clients more engaged, which raises their loyalty to your business.

 

3. Get In-Depth Info About Balance and Posture

Not only can these scanners go deep into a person's body composition, but they can also get details about balance and posture.

This is incredibly useful for:

  • Athletes in training
  • People with workplace injuries
  • People recovering in physical therapy

Being able to track the minutia in balance and posture can empower clients to become more engaged with their recovery or training. They can map out exactly how to make it to the next step and check off milestones as they come.

 

4. Biometric Progress Reports and Goal-Setting

One of the most remarkable aspects of this new scanner is that it can give clients biometric progress reports. They can get specific and assess different parts of the body that they want to focus on.

In their first session, they can get a baseline report and watch how they improve over time. Then, by learning how their exercise regimen affects their body, they'll focus more on their goals.

They can create big-picture goals without using a mirror to make uninformed decisions. They can instead use objective measurements and accurate data to lead them on their journey.

 

5. Great to Match With Personal Training and Technology

These types of scanners go hand-in-hand with personal training. It is a great way to increase engagement by setting big-picture goals. A personal trainer can then meet with the client to explain exactly why they should do specific exercises to meet those goals.

While the client already has big goals in mind, the personal trainer can set smaller milestones to focus on.

These biometric scans can also be linked to apps on their phone, so they can stay on top of their progress whenever they want to. This puts them in the driver's seat of their health. 

 

6. Non-Invasive, Fast, and Accurate

Compared to previous technology, these types of scanners have a considerable advantage. The scanning process is entirely non-invasive and never physically touches the person. 

For handheld 3D scanners, the device is held a few inches to a few feet away from the subject by the operator. If it is a scanning booth, the client simply stands inside the booth while it captures their body from different angles without any contact.

Scanning a body is incredibly fast as well. It takes less than 10 seconds while the subject stands still inside the booth. 

After finishing, the high-precision tools can give high-resolution 3D models. It can detect minute details that the human eye cannot, making them valuable in the medical and fitness industries.

Some 3D scanners can even get images of several people at once!

 

7. Custom Garment Design

How often have you sent clothes back that you ordered online? 3D body scanning technology allows customers to get their exact measurements and tailoring done all from the comfort of their homes. 

With detailed data on the person's body shape, companies can make perfect alterations and customized clothing that fits their customer without the lengthy fitting process.

 

8. Benchmarking

3D body scanning also takes in a ton of valuable data from the people it tracks. Although there are some privacy concerns with this, it also provides helpful information that can add to statistics on average body benchmarks.

This can help contribute to science and help uncover things that we need to learn about the human body. 

 

9. Helps Diagnose and Treat Medical Issues

The pinpoint accurate body scanning can help doctors create a diagnosis about their patients. This includes skin-related issues like:

  • Burns
  • Wrinkles
  • Diseases
  • Infections

It can detect deformities that might not otherwise be found, all in a non-invasive way.

Doctors will then have more information about how to treat the patient, which can be a life-and-death situation. For example, the right amount of medicine needed for a burn victim must be perfectly calculated, or it could result in severe complications.

Afterward, the scanners can continue to monitor how the patient's body reacts to medicine or during ongoing situations like diet or pregnancy. This allows for accurate diagnoses and recommendations.

 

10. Can Create 3D-Printed Prosthetics

A great application of this device can lead to perfectly formed prosthetics for patients. Because of 3D printing, prosthetics are now significantly more affordable for people that need them. 

There are many open-source 3D models of prosthetics in communities. One example is The Open Hand Project. 

3D scanning takes these projects to the next level by making detailed scans to perfectly fit a patient's limb, making them more durable, comfortable, and efficient.

 

11. Increased Company ROI

Although the cost of a 3D body scanning machine is nothing to sneeze at, the advantages are so significant for clients that it will eventually increase sales. 

It will set your business apart from other fitness centers in your area as it will have the latest technology to lead clients to better meet their fitness goals.

You also have the option to charge by using the 3D body scanning machine as well. You can include it in specific subscription packages or add it to your personal training regime.

Whichever way you choose, it gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to sales and packaging.

 

Take Advantage of 3D Scanning Today

That's everything you need to know about 3D body scanners. Even though they are a relatively new technology, they are already making huge waves in different industries like fashion, fitness, and medicine.

If you're ready to start taking advantage of the benefits of 3D scanners, don't wait another second. Check out our scanner options and learn how to use them for your business today.