California Academy of Sciences Turns To 3D Scanning Technology to Preserve its Collection
The coral around the atoll was a highly restricted area years before the U.S. began testing nuclear warheads in the Pacific Ocean. But the California Academy of Sciences has stepped up and paraded around 800 specimens that were never seen by the public.
As a result, the museum has become a gallery where fossils that are archived in a dark, chilly room tell a story about the past. But the story behind some of these specimens is still unknown.
The idea behind establishing this gallery is to have something for everyone. Every corner of the gallery houses something delicate and strange. Collecting these specimens and fossils is seen as a gift that never depletes. This museum has over 46 million specimens, each telling a unique story.
Fossils and specimens in this museum are so delicate and sensitive to degradation. And since the Academy of Science is a research institution used for studies worldwide, there is a need to maintain the integrity of the data.
Even as the institution strives to preserve artwork forever, nature doesn’t allow that because nothing is meant to last forever. While nature can’t be fought, it can be slowed.
Using 3D Laser Scanning Services to Preserve These Specimens
The museum has turned to genetic analysis, 3D laser scanning services, and X-ray imaging to make its collections available forever. With 3D scanning services, the museum creates a digital replica of a fossil or specimen and shares it without fearing it may get damaged.
As the museum digitalizes its archived specimens with 3D laser scans, the less likely people will travel from around the world to come to see the artwork. In addition, digitalization will reduce barriers to accessibility for people who can’t afford a plane ticket or cannot travel miles away from their homes.
Through 3D laser scanning services, the academy uses archived fossils and specimens to reference what the environment may have in store, even as ecological and climatic changes continue to disturb.
The academy’s mission is to use 3D scanning technology to preserve their collection and make them resilient to climate change. And there is no better way to do that than resorting to the latest technology.
While retaining a physical reference is equally essential, 3D technology can help archive those fossils and specimens that are about to become distinct due to changing ecological and climatic conditions.