The race is on.

MakerBot launched its MakerBot Digitizer desktop 3D scanner earlier this year, selling for $1,400. Radiant Fabrication has an all-in-one 3D scanner and 3D printer. Fuel3D raised $300,000 on Kickstarter for its hand-held 3D scanner. And just this past week, 3D Systems launched a $399 hand-held 3D scanner called Sense.

But there is a veteran in this space: Luxembourg-based Artec Group.

Artec 3D scanners are used today by commercial customers like Hyundai Motor Europe. Hyundai employs Artec 3D scanners to create 3D models of automobile seats for new cars. These models can then be tested and modified for maximum safety and comfort.

In fact, there is a wide range of applications where Artec 3D scanners are being used – everything from the film World War Z to the Brazil football team to fashion design.

And now celebrities.

The Big Bang Theory

Last season on the Big Bang Theory, the nerds got excited about 3D scanning and 3D printing. In Season 6, Episode 14 (called the “Cooper/Kripke Inversion”), Howard and Raj order customized figurines of themselves online.

When the toys arrive, they are quickly disappointed at how poorly the dolls resemblance is. Raj suggests buying a 3D printer to make their own. In the show, they 3D scan themselves as well as Bernadette with a Kinect sensor and 3D print perfect replicas in color.

It turns out that the real scanning was done with an Artec Eva scanner, not a Kinect sensor. The resolution of the Kinect scans was not high enough for a quality, color 3D printed figurine. Instead Artec was selected and Chris Strong from Rapid Scan, an Artec authorized reseller, was invited to the set for the 3D scanning.

Here are 3D models of Bernadette and Howard.

The Royal Family

On a tour of Elstree Film and Television Studios, Britain’s Prince Andrew asked if he himself could be 3D scanned. The Lifecast/Life3D studio team quickly scanned him with an Artec Eva hand-held scanner.

One minute later, a life-like, 3D digital copy was staring back at Prince Andrew from the computer screen.

Learn more about Artec at www.artec3d.com.