Geomagic Joins with Creaform to Offer Educational Discounts to Universities, Design and Trade Schools Worldwide

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., September 6, 2006- Geomagic® (www.geomagic.com), a worldwide software and services firm, and Creaform (www.creaform3d.com), a 3D digital technologies company, today announced an aggressive educational discount program. The new program will allow design and engineering students to access the leading-edge technology currently used by engineering professionals in the aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, medical and consumer products industries at a discounted educational institution pricing structure.

"Enabling students to use the latest technology is of great benefit to all," says Andrew Stein, vice president of product management and marketing of Geomagic, Inc. "We see this as an investment in the future, one that will fuel product and engineering innovation for years to come and prepare students for a digital world of non-contact measurement for design, inspection, and a variety of other applications."

"We are proud to be part of this important program and support these institutions," adds Charles Mony, president of Creaform. "The ability for instructors to provide easy to use and accurate hands-on tools to students is invaluable. Geomagic and Creaform believe that the future of design engineering and 3D inspection technology resides with students in universities and trade institutions."

One institution, the University of Michigan, is already putting Geomagic software and Creaform Handyscan 3D hardware to good use.

"At the University of Michigan 3D Lab we provide research assistance to all departments on campus, so we look for the most flexible technology available," says Brett Lyons, senior research technician, University of Michigan 3D Lab. "Forty minutes after unpacking the Creaform Handyscan 3D scanner bundled with Geomagic software, we were scanning dinosaur bones and brake calipers, one right after the other."

"In the time since we received the kit we've been able to scan a wide range of parts, each attempt ending in success," adds Lyons. "The technology is easy and fast to use, robust and consistent. We are very happy with the performance, service, integration and good value offered by Geomagic and Creaform."

Students at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California have also recently begun to benefit from this initiative.

"Our students and faculty have wanted to have access to 3D scanning capability for years, but until the Creaform Handyscan 3D became available it just wasn't practical," explains Michael Berman, senior vice president/chief technology officer, Art Center College of Design. "Older solutions are expensive, slow, cumbersome and difficult to learn and use."

"Now with the Handyscan 3D and Geomagic software, we can scan a student's 3D work in the morning, and by the afternoon they're producing high-res renderings or printing new versions with a rapid-prototyping machine," says Berman. "The Creaform Handyscan 3D closes the loop between the physical and virtual worlds, bringing new ways of to create and to design, and allowing our students to express their creativity rather than wrestling with technology."

In France, students at Ecole Centrale Nantes have also begun to benefit from the "out of the box" utility of the Handyscan/Geomagic combo.

"For 20 years, laser scanning has been the base for new developments related to digital modeling. But, many problems occurred, mainly due to the use of sensors and data exploitation. With the Handyscan 3D, this is completely different. The use of the sensor is very easy in a way of autonomy, self-positioning and also a full-compatibility with the well-known software, like Geomagic," says Alain Bernard, professor/head of department, Engineering of Industrial Products and Systems Department, Ecole Centrale Nantes.

"Now, we have a solution that is easy to use for students, for industrial companies and also for designers," adds Bernard. "Many application fields have not yet been analyzed but this technology is really a breakthrough in the field of 3D digitizing systems."

The educational discount program, available worldwide, will make available a minimum of 150 hardware and software kits at an 80 percent discount to qualified education institutions.

Educational institutions can order the kits directly from Creaform by contacting their offices at 53 Bel-Air Street, Levis, Quebec, Canada G6V 6K9, phone: (418) 833-4446, e-mail: [email protected], Phillippe Germain, Educational Program Manager.

About Geomagic

Geomagic (www.geomagic.com) is a global company dedicated to advancing and applying 3D technology for the benefit of humanity. Geomagic’s scanning and design software solutions are used to capture and model 3D content from physical objects, organically sculpt complex shapes, and prepare products for manufacturing. In addition, the company produces powerful 3D metrology and inspection software that verifies dimensional quality by comparing as-built products to master designs. Geomagic’s Sensable Phantom haptic devices simulate the sense of touch in a digital environment. 

Geomagic’s software and hardware are utilized by world-class customers in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical, consumer products, toys, collectibles, coindesign, jewelry, fine art, heritage restoration, research, education, mold making, entertainment, training and surgical simulation. In fact, some of the world’s leading companies and research organizationsuse Geomagic software, including Ford, BMW,Boeing, Harley Davidson, Timberland, Mattel/Fisher Price, Lego, Pratt & Whitney, NASA, Schneider Electronic, 3M, Danaher and Invisalign. Geomagic is based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., USA, with an office in Boston, subsidiaries in Europe and Asia, and channel partners worldwide.

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Geomagic, Geomagic Studio, Geomagic Qualify, Geomagic Qualify Probe, Geomagic Spark, Wrap, Geomagic Wrap, Phantom, OpenHaptics, Omni, Freeform, Claytools, Sensable and Sensable Technologies, Inc. are trademarks or registered trademarks of Geomagic Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.