(Chrysler Group LLC: Auburn Hills, MI) -- In January 2010, an ATOS IIe white-light scanning system at Chrysler Group's Scientific Test Labs, Aero/Thermal, was looking a bit like PIXAR's Wall-E and badly in need of an update. The technology was at the end of its usable life-cycle. At every point in the process of scanning, it was taking the equipment longer to process data at an ever increasing rate. Malfunctions and glitches were increasing on a daily basis.

In the beginning, the ATOS IIe's sole purpose was to scan 3-D images of aerodynamic vehicles and modes. As technology and processes became more efficient, requests for 3-D scanning increased. Not only were Aero/Thermal's needs changing, but the Chrysler Group's Product Design Office (PDO), who had been utilizing hand-held laser scanners, also saw the potential for a more efficient scanner.

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