from The Jeffersonian
Measuring up, in 3-D
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Besides using laser scanning techniques for heritage and architectural sites, such technology has also been deployed to capture a digital imprint of smaller historical artefacts - with the intention of replicating them. Could this be one of the direction in preservation, where digitally scanned artefacts are replicated in time to come when the "original" has deteriorated beyond recognition? This option can be especially useful as another option in "preserving" plastics-based artefacts.

Another use of such a scanning technology is to serve as an additional tool in understanding the condition of artefacts. This is made possible with advancing computing power, as surface details are minutely captured, and visually rendered, with very high fidelity for an all-round view on a computer screen.