US Patent 7349130 Automated scanning system and method

A system and method for mass, automated scanning of objects, including dental study casts, housing parts, and other objects. The system and method are able to function with little or no human operator intervention, thereby facilitating high volume scanning and reducing scanning costs. The system includes a scanner having a scanning table, a conveyor mechanism adjacent the scanner for delivering objects to be scanned to the scanner, and a pick and place mechanism for taking an object from the conveyor mechanism and mounting it onto the scanning table of the scanner.