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Tech of the Week | JBKnowledge | Printing Museums in 3D

Did you know that only 2% of the Smithsonian's 137 million artifacts are available to the public at any given time? Two Smithsonian 3D digitilzation coordinators are hoping to change that - by creating a complete digital archive of as many of those 137 million items as possible. And not just photos of them, but complete 3D models made possible by laser scanning of each and every item. 

"The team working on the Jefferson replica project decided that rather than use a traditional method involving rubber molding and casting, they would utilize modern technologies. Taking a Minolta laser scanner worth well up to $100,000 along, they contracted with Studio EIS to generate an intricately detailed 3D model of the statue that was then turned into the 3D printed replica by RedEye on Demand."

Some items, like this Thomas Jefferson statue, can therefore be replicated for museums across the country. Others, can remain as 3D digital models, but available to an infinitely wide audience. There is a concern that as technology and software changes in the future that the digital archive may become obsolete, but the coordinators are apparently ready for the challenge. 

"If we could leverage the power of 3D to bring a portion of that collection to the world," Metallo said, "that would be incredibly powerful, and definitely worth the expense."

Click here to read more about this 3D printing technology