What is a scanner?

[spinout059]

I've heard a few things on here about scanners. What are they and what do they do?

 

[Things]

They are just a form of laser show that uses 2 motors in X and Y configuration, they have mirrors mounted on the motor shaft, which also move back and forth, at a high speed. The X and Y scanners are then controlled by some form of computer or inbuilt drivers, and can create patterns when a laser is bounced off the 2 mirrors, Scanners usually use stepper motors or galvo's, the latter being better for graphics and text.

 

[rog8811]

Just a little bit more on the cofiguration as "motor" suggests complete rotation.
The X Y galvo's or stepper motors move backward and forward over a very small angle (between 5deg and 15deg) at such high speed that to the naked eye it is hard to see the movement. The mirrors are mounted along the lenght of the output shaft rather than on the end of the shaft, as when doing spiro scanning.

Regards rog8811

 

[darklandz]

does any1 know of any decent scanners that are capable of projecting 3D images/patterns?
im looking for something worth the bucks and not too pricey, if any1 can point me in the right direction?
cheers