Scanner doubles as projector and is located above the screen

Oct 22, 2014 06:36 GMT  ·  By

The term “all-in-one PC” has come to mean “computer with all the hardware stuffed behind the integrated display,” but HP is just about to redefine the word if recent rumors are true. And they very well might be.

The past couple of weeks have been riddled with the usual number of 3D printers and 3D printing-related product releases.

There have also been quite a few rumors about what may or may not happen in the near future, with the ones about HP taking a frontline role.

However, while reports about a big announcement coming on October 29, 2014 are still lurking, none of the other reports about HP panned out, at least until now.

HP is preparing a new sort of all-in-one PC: Sprout

Normally, this would not have anything to do with 3D printing technology, but the corporation has decided to add 3D scanning capabilities to the whole “all-in-one” list.

Although, technically, it's a projector that is being added. It's just that said projector can also double as a 3D scanner, or at least shares the space with one. The projector / 3D scanner is located at the top of the PC, right above the display. Such is the data from Re/code in any case.

According to the report, there isn't much software manipulation involved in kickstarting the 3D scanning functionality. All you need to do is touch an object to the surface where the projector is projecting something, and the scanning will begin.

Or you might have to manually hit some virtual controls, it's not clear yet. You'll also have to move the object on its axis most likely, since the Sprout isn't a tablet you can point at something and move around with.

Additionally, the projector / 3D scanner is surrounded or flanked by a touch control interface. Again, it's not clear what it looks like, or what the Sprout as a whole looks like.

The new HP consumer enterprise

HP is splitting in half in case you didn't get around to reading that update. Hewlett-Packard Enterprise will be the business/enterprise arm (obviously), while HP Inc. will keep the consumer-oriented parts. So we're pretty sure that the latter will formally launch the Sprout, whenever the release event is set.

Unfortunately, while the launch should happen soon, we can't say exactly when it will be. Also, while Google's Chrome OS has been pegged as a supported OS, the first Sprout systems will only run Windows.