American 3D-printer manufacturer 3D Systems has launched a $399 handheld 3D scanner for capturing objects anywhere and instantly creating a printable file.

The Sense scanner is able to capture anything from small objects to scenes ten metres high and wide. The scans can then be sent straight to a 3D Systems Cube 3D printer to create a model.

Files can also be uploaded from the scanner directly to the user's online Cubify account and cloud printed in a range of materials.

"The Sense is the first ever 3D content camera for everyone, making it possible to capture people, objects and places on the go," said Rajeev Kulkarni, vice president and general manager consumer products at 3D Systems.

The product features built-in object recognition that can distinguish the required item from busy backgrounds.

Sense was unveiled at the Engadget Expand technology event in San Francisco on 8 November. It can already be purchased for $399 (£250) on the Cubify website and will be available at Staples' stores and website from 18 November.

3D scanners are dropping in price dramatically. Earlier this year MakerBot unveiled plans for the first desktop 3D scanner - a product that is now on sale for $1,400. Prior to that scanning required complex arrays of cameras, as the Dezeen team discovered when we got our heads scanned and printed.

Read on for more information from 3D Systems:

3D Systems Delivers Sense Consumer 3D Scanner

» Printable Physical Photography for All; Discover #HowScanagenicAreYou
» Easy to Use, Full Colour, Portable, Ready to Print, Share and Enjoy
» Professional Performance at the Affordable Consumer Price of Only $399
» Scan Large and Small Objects, People and Scenes, Watch the Sense video

3D Systems announced today the immediate availability of the Sense 3D scanner, the first 3D scanner designed for the consumer and optimised for 3D printing. The Sense is the only 3D scanner to deliver precise instant physical photography, so everyone can capture his or her scanable moments. Sense has flexible scan size and can capture everything from a picture-perfect cupcake to a full-body selfie, processing data in seconds for an instantly 3D printable file. Sense comes with an intuitive user interface with easy and automated zoom, track, focus, crop, enhance and share tools. Sense printables can be sent to your Cube and CubeXTM 3D printers, or directly uploaded to Cubify.com for cloud printing in a range of materials, including Ceramix, Aluminix and Clear.

The Sense is priced at $399 and immediately available on Cubify.com. The Sense will also be available on Staples.com and in hundreds of Staples retail stores nationwide starting 18 November 2013.

3DS CEO Avi Reichental will launch Sense live on-stage at Engadget Expand on 8 November. Anyone in or visiting New York City is invited to grab a sneak peek and hands-on experience with the Sense at Engadget Expand, November 9–10, 2013, at the Javits Center. 3DS will be real-time scanning and projecting onto a 70-inch screen throughout the weekend from 9am-6pm each day.

"The Sense is the first ever 3D content camera for everyone, making it possible to capture people, objects and places on the go," said Rajeev Kulkarni, Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Products, 3D Systems. "I anticipate that the Sense's intuitive nature, portability, range, unmatched quality and powerful user interface and user experience will spur a new social movement around 3D sharable and printable physical photography."

Product Features

For your life on the go: hand-held mobility gives you the freedom to scan spontaneously, everywhere you go. The Sense is mobile scanning compatible with the Microsoft SurfaceTM Pro 2 tablet.

Scan small, scan large, scan it all: Sense small and large objects, people and scenes. The Sense has the most diverse scan range in its class with auto-optimised settings for small and large objects like a book or a motorcycle, heads to full bodies and scenes as large as ten-feet tall and wide.

Zero-in on what matters: automatic object recognition extracts precise targets from the busiest of backgrounds, scanning only the object you want.

Edit confidently: Sense software is intuitive, fast, accurate and easy to use. Scans process in seconds and can be cropped, enhanced and solidified for printables in just minutes. No design experience is necessary.

Mash-up your world: merge your scans in Cubify Sculpt, the ultimate consumer software for editing STLs, mash-ups and organic modelling. Full integration between the Sense and Cubify Sculpt gives you the creative freedom to import your scans and combine them with other favourite designs.

Physical to digital and back again: Sense is fully integrated with Cubify.com and your Cube 3D printer. Scans can be uploaded directly for cloud printing with a variety of materials on Cubify.com, or sent directly to your 3D printer.

Sense is powered by 3DS' proprietary Geomagic software, making the Sense unmatched in quality, scan speed and easy editing capabilities for consumers. Sense is the only consumer scanner in its class that delivers professional performance at an affordable consumer price and guarantees an awesome user experience.