Typically creating a canoe is a long and tedious process. Someone has to find a long enough log and chip away the inside, shaving it into the shape we know as a canoe. It’s a tiring task that has many people wondering if there are easier ways to get the same result. Derek Kawiti took on the challenge and decided to use 3D laser scanning and 3D printing to recreate a 230-year-old Hawaiian outrigger canoe.
Derek Kawiti will never be able to touch this canoe because it is sitting in the Smithsonian. Instead, he is working from scans that were taken by a 3D laser scanning device. These scans can be more accurate than any picture. It allows him to see the model as a whole and then feed certain information into the 3D printer.
These two pieces of technology have changed the way we share information around the world. It is also one of the best ways to protect and preserve historical one of a kind objects. Many museums have been hesitant to adopt this trend, but after seeing many of the advantages of 3D laser scanning and printing, they are slowly changing the way they recreate objects.
The benefits of 3D laser scanning in the historical world
One of the biggest advantages of 3D laser scanning is that it is totally non-invasive but can pick up almost every detail. One person has to stand and scan the entire item, once it has been aimed, it will automatically pick up data points.
Once everything is scanned, it gets sent to a partnering system where someone can edit the information. On top of that, from this system, they can send the scans across the world in a matter of minutes. 3D laser scanning has helped us find a new way to communicate and not withhold any information.
We could have the option to print our own unique historical objects to share with our community. There has been no other tool like this one, and it is changing the way we gather information, how we store data and how we share it.
The advantages of 3D printing in the historical world
3D printing is newer than 3D laser scanning. This came around in the 1980s, and scanning was invented in the 1960s. Though it is more recent, it is amazing and provides some fantastic benefits for researchers and museums.
3D printing allows exact copies to be made in less time. Instead of creating molds, casts, or taking physical measurements and then trying to carve them by hand, the 3D laser scanning device uploads exact instructions to the 3D printer.
Once the instructions are there, it will continue to work with little observation needed. This can allow people to pick up the replicas, study them, and more. 3D printing replicas can be more budget-friendly than other ways of trying to create objects.
Final thoughts
No matter how you look at it, 3D laser scanning and printing has entered our world, and it is a trend that will not go away any time soon. It has the right features to change the way we communicate, build, and share with others. We will see more projects like this one shortly.