Boulder Innovation and the 3D Creator
Jun 30th, 2008 by rlsorbe
As we continue to explore Boulder’s innovation in design and technology, I’d like to introduce the Boulder Innovation Group and their product, the 3D Creator. Boulder Innovation Group Inc. (BIG) is a manufacturer and developer of industrial 3D capture modeling equipment. BIG products find applications in medicine, spine analysis, bicycle fitting, and numerous industries where measuring objects digitally can be found. The 3D Creator is a product that uses a patented infrared light tracking technology which serves as the basis for the hand-held unit. The wireless system is compatible with real-time interfacing to numerous CAD (Computer Aided Design) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) software packages. This is a revolutionary technology that enables designers to analyze, manipulate, or recreate objects onto the computer.
The 3D Creator is used primarily in the medical fields, and also by individual end-users in the engineering, 3D-design, and quality assurance markets. In the medical industry it is used by Accuray Incorporated with their Cyberknife Radiosurgical System and at the Boulder Community Hospital in Boulder at the Miriam Hart Radiotherapy Center. Other users are RevXperts in Germany, Tri-D Technologies, and Crucial Innovation.
I was interested in learning more about the inspiration and ideas behind the product and it’s application, so I spoke with professionals from Boulder Innovation Group: “The product idea came from the use of a similar product by Image Guided Technologies in the early 1990s. Their product was used in Image Guided Surgery for navigation purposes. Ivan Faul, an electrical engineer and president of BIG, immigrated from South Africa after careers in the military and aerospace industries in Europe and Canada. Ivan saw a market and application for the “3D Creator” with reverse engineering and quality assurance companies. One inspiration for the product development was that existing manufacturers of similar and competing products using alternative technologies were fairly successful with annual revenues of upwards of $100 million.”
From Solar Carports and Blue LED Lights, to SketchUp and the 3D Creator; Boulder is a central base to much of our country’s design and technology innovation. It is amazing to see the talented industry leaders that are inspired to develop inventive ideas and concepts from this City. Stay tuned as we continue to trace the lineage of Boulder’s innovation.
