The sweeping wave of technological advancements has unlocked facets unimagined before. Among these innovative breakthroughs, the handheld 3D scanner has emerged as a quintessential tool that has rapidly taken high-speed scanning to unprecedented heights. It has transferred the power of high fidelity, high-speed scanning straight into our palms, revolutionizing how we perceive and interact with the world. In this exploration, we delve into the technology's endless possibilities.

In our fast-paced world, saving time and increased productivity have become essences of efficiency. Handheld 3D scanners provide a judicious mix of both, owing to their high-speed scanning modules. Instead of traditional methods of painstaking measurements and recreations digitally, we can now accurately capture and digitize environments and objects in a handful of minutes.

Handheld scanners utilize technologies such as structured light or laser triangulation to capture points in space and digitize them into a 3D model. This process is done at unprecedented speeds compared to stationary 3D scanning setups or photogrammetry. This difference in capability provides handheld 3D scanning a distinctive advantage, enabling applications that were practically impossible before its advent.

How exactly do these scanners work? They emit a light source upon a target surface. The light, when bounced off the object, is captured using an onboard camera system. Advanced algorithms then process these point clouds to develop an accurate 3D representation of the scanned object. What's truly impressive about this tech suite is its ability to potentially scan thousands of points per second, bringing dramatic time conservation.

Leveraging such speed and ease of use, handheld 3D scanners have found a myriad of applications across different sectors. In the realms of industrial design and manufacturing, rapid prototyping became the norm by facilitating quick scan-to-CAD operations. This technological marvel has reduced the time between ideation and the creation of physical, testable prototypes, shrinking product development cycles considerably.

Where time is critical, like in medical and healthcare applications, handheld 3D scanners have proven to be invaluable. Surgeons and medical technicians can scan a patient's body part, such as a limb or the face, within minutes using a handheld 3D scanner. This scanned data is then transformed into highly accurate 3D models, which can assist in surgical planning or create precise prosthetic and orthotic devices.

Heritage preservation is another area that has immensely benefited from high-speed handheld 3D scanning. Artists and archaeologists can now document and digitally preserve intricate artifacts or vast archeological sites with minimal intrusion and highest detail level. Cultures and historic relics that were once lost to time now live on indefinitely in the digital realm, thanks to this technological feat.

Advancements in high-speed handheld 3D scanning haven't stopped. Every day, researchers and developers push the envelope, enhancing accuracy, increasing scanning speed, and improving user interface for easier operation. As these scanners become faster, lighter, and more intuitive, they are likely to permeate more deeply into professional as well as consumer spheres.

As adoption increases, novel applications also continue to spring up. For instance, in the entertainment industry, game developers and film producers are starting to use handheld 3D scanners to create more immersive and realistic virtual worlds. In the residential renovation scene, contractors use them for fast 'as-built' documentation, significantly reducing project time frames.

Despite these significant strides forward, handheld 3D high-speed scanning is still an evolving landscape. With consistent research and edgy innovations, the technology continues to mature, promising an array of possibilities. What we have explored today is only a mere glimpse of what this impressive piece of technology has to offer. As we continue to witness its growth, one can safely anticipate that the handheld 3D scanner will continue evolving, bringing further change and growth to various fields in unprecedented ways.