HP Inc. Bundles Scanners with 3D PC Platform

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For some time, HP Inc. has been making the case for employing virtual reality technologies to change the way people play with, and also build and develop, products. With that goal firmly in mind, HP Inc. today unveiled Sprout Pro by HP, an offering that bundles a PC based on Intel i7 Core processors configured with DDR4 memory, a document camera, and 2D and 3D scanners in a single offering.

Elliott Levine, chief academic officer for HP Inc., says that while Sprout has been well received by individual users, HP Inc. envisions Sprout Pro by HP being more widely adopted by organizations looking to gain their first practical experience with virtual and augmented reality applications.

Initially launched last year, HP’s Sprout platform combines a turntable with a PC to make it simpler to capture 3D images. Organizations can then manipulate the captured images to create a new design that can ultimately become a physical entity using a 3D printer.

HP Inc. is now also making it easier to share images on a Sprout Pro PC via both a Sprout Companion for Skype for Businessapplication that enables remote sharing of a Sprout 2D capture during a Skype meeting, as well as providing an ability to annotate a Skype whiteboard using the Sprout pen and mat. A new HP External Display Mixer allows users to share what’s on the Sprout dual screen, video from the webcam, or the downward-facing camera all at the same time.

With prices starting at $2,199, HP Inc. is clearly trying to drive demand for higher-end PCs using a 3D platform that can now support advanced applications from, for example, Autodesk. The challenge, of course, is getting organizations to take Sprout seriously as a serious 3D platform versus a platform aimed more at amateurs looking to use a PC to advance their hobby using 3D technologies.