I´m sure many of us can remember the early days of computer scanners. Unless money was no object, flatbed scanners were typically out of reach (often costing thousands of dollars). Instead, consumer-level scanners were often small, handheld units that scanned 256 shades of grey (although some could handle color). These scanners were fairly difficult to use, because in order to scan most objects, a steady hand was required. Even a slight deviation from a straight line could ruin an otherwise decent scan.