The new HP TopShot Laserjet Pro M275 is a color laser multifunction printer (MFP) that prints, copies, and scans, and it also comes with something extra: an elevated, 8-megapixel camera that makes taking images of small three-dimensional (3D) objects almost as easy as making a photocopy.
Note: the device, as well as the toner, are relatively expensive.
But the design is interesting and relatively new.
The concept of using camera instead of scanner
is used on large scale for "Google Books" project,
where a custom "scanning" device is created to quick and "gentle"
scanning of millions of books, where two high-res cameras
are taking photos of both pages of open book at once...
Obviously, the solution is patented...
Like everything in the technology world, there is a competition,
and there is an independent solution that does the same jobs as Google's
And even among "classic" inkjet MFP devices, there is also competition,
from Lexmark Genesis
Soon enough many smart-phones will be able to do similar job...
