Company Profile: The ARANZ Group

ARANZ (Applied Research Associates NZ Ltd) is an established developer of 3D scanning and modelling technology for applications as diverse as movie-making, geological modelling and medicine. ARANZ supplies both hardware and software solutions to industry.

ARANZ was formed in 1995 specifically to develop and commercialise the patented technology used in its very successful hand-held laser scanner. The original device was used extensively by Weta Digital to bring to life the creatures of Middle Earth in the Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings films. The scanner now known as the Polhemus FastSCAN™ has found application in animation and graphics, prosthetics and orthotics, forensics, medicine, archaeology, bio-sciences, and reverse-engineering.

ARANZ Scanning Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of ARANZ, and is responsible for the production, development and product integration of the hand-held laser scanner and related products. Examples of integration projects include a mask making system for creating immobilisation masks for radiotherapy; and the Hanger Insignia product, where the FastSCAN Cobra™ was selected by Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. (the largest prosthetics and orthotics provider in the USA, with over 600 clinics) as its primary 3D data entry device, facilitating a faster and less invasive way to create prosthetics and orthotics than traditional casting methods.

ARANZ Medical Ltd is the medical division of ARANZ. It's focus is on technological innovation to advance medical care.

Through work initially carried out in conjunction with the Department of Mathematics, University of Canterbury, ARANZ has developed advanced software for processing various types of 3D data-sets using radial basis functions. This is available as a FastRBF™ Toolbox for Matlab, a stand-alone surfacing product called SilverLining™, as well as a FastRBF™ library for OEM customers. A version of the FastRBF™ engine has been embedded in the FastSCAN™ software enabling ARANZ to offer more comprehensive solutions to many of its clients. The FastRBF™ family of products is marketed and sold through ARANZ's subsidiary FarField Technology Ltd.

Zaparo Ltd is a joint venture company between ARANZ and SRK Australia. SRK and ARANZ together developed the Leapfrog™ software, a product for processing, viewing and interpreting drill-hole data in the mining industry, which represents a new era in rapid mine data processing.

The ARANZ Group of companies is based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and is split over two sites. Altogether it employs a staff of two dozen, which includes seven PhDs, one MBChB, one Masters, and three Bachelor degrees, covering the fields of electrical engineering, mathematics, computer science and medicine.

ARANZ and FarField Technology are ISO9001 Registered Suppliers - Research & Design.