ScanTo3D | OpalAi vs Apera AI

ScanTo3D by OpalAi is a 3D generation app for iPhone Pro and iPad Pro that turns LiDAR walkthrough scans into floor plans, point clouds, and BIM-ready models. You walk through a space with your phone, capture geometry in InstaCAD or LiDAR mode, and export digital twins in formats like OBJ, GLTF, STL, and USDZ. It targets property owners, contractors, and facility teams who need as-built documentation without hauling a dedicated scanner.

Compared to renting tripod LiDAR hardware, ScanTo3D trades equipment cost for device requirements and optional cloud processing. InstaCAD mode builds 2D floor plans and 3D CAD models in real time for spaces under 2,000 square feet, while LiDAR mode handles larger environments with no hard size cap though OpalAi recommends keeping each scan under about 5,000 square feet.

Site managers, real estate teams, and construction sales staff use it for quick floor plans, ANSI-compliant gross living area calculations, and textured 3D exports. OpalAi claims less than 1 inch of error per 30 feet and about 98% accuracy on generated floor plans and BIM objects.

Apera AI sells 4D Vision software and hardware that guides industrial robots through bin picking, assembly, machine tending, sorting, and packaging tasks. Its Vue robotic vision platform combines pairs of 2D cameras into a 3D scene model, then runs proprietary neural networks to pick the most graspable part and send path plans to the robot controller in as little as 0.3 seconds.

Traditional machine vision often needs reference photos or fails on shiny, clear, or randomly piled parts. Apera AI trains objects from CAD models or 3D scans using synthetic data, targets 99.99% reliability before delivery, and handles clear, translucent, and reflective parts in bright, dark, or outdoor lighting. One Vue computer can run up to four camera pairs, and commissioning after training takes about 15 minutes of calibration.

The company targets automotive, medical device, and metal fabrication plants plus the system integrators who build their cells. Projects follow a four-step Scope, Design, Install, and Support process with certified partners, a spec-based refund guarantee on vision programs, and a 30-minute support callback pledge during business hours.