CSC400 Explorations in 3D Scanning

what I am doing with the scanner

I am using our scanner (ZScanner™700) to explore applications of 3D scanning in the field of art restoration and conservation. I have been working with the conservation team at the Smith College Museum of Art to help with the restoration of a Lous XIV early 16th -late 17th century giltwood frame. Once conserved, this frame will be placed around Claude Monet's Cathedral at Rouen (La Cour d'Albane) in the Smith College Collection. I have been scanning segments of the frame that are missing in other portions and plan to use our ZPrinter 310 to print these sections in reverse, so they will become molds that can be filled with compo and used to restore lost sections of the frame. I have also been scanning parts of other frames to make molds that could be used for reproductions of frames. There are many applications of a 3D scanner for work in museums, which can be seen in the section related things other people are doing with 3D scanners.

The scanning of the frames has posed several problems that had to be surmounted. First of all, the frames are gilt in gold and thus are shiny. The scanner has a hard time scanning shiny objects because it relies on the relfection of the lasers off the object to determine the object's position and shape. The other problem was that the ZScanner requires small reflective stickers to be placed on the object in order for the laser to be handheld and moveable, yet still be able to find the object's location in space. The conservators were afraid that the stickers might pull off the gold gilt on the frames. Both of these problems were solved with one solution: baby powder. When the frames are dusted in a layer of baby power (or any white powder), they are no longer too reflective for the scanner to handle. The baby powder also acts as a buffer between the sticker and the frame and protects the gold gilt.

image gallery

In these pictures I am scanning parts of this Blakelock frame that will be used to make an accurate reproduction frame.
In these pictures I am scanning a segment of frame that had to be cut out when the frame was resized to fit the Monet. You can see the whole set up, which is a laptop hooked up to the scanner, a black board with reflective dots (the board is not strictly necessary, but useful) and the object to be scanned.
Some stock images of the ZScanner from the ZCorp website.
A Screenshot from one of my scans of the Louis XIV frame	Screenshots from my scans of the Blakelock frame to make molds for reproductions.
Details of just the acanthus leaves from the Blakelock frame in the model editing software.