This week we are exploring the practical, ethical, and cultural issues that that 3D scanning and digital or physical reproduction present.

Begin with a quick history of 3D printing form the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Australia.

Take a look at some nice examples of completed 3D scans from the British Museum on Sketchfab.

Have a quick look at a 3D scanning process in action at the Smithsonian, and another fun example of scanning and printing for public engagement from Jamestown, VA.

And finally,  here in London, Ontario there is cutting edge of 3D scanning and printing work underway at Sustainable Archaeology.

Explore Mukurtu, an open source platform that is intended “to empower communities to manage, share, and exchange their digital heritage in culturally relevant and ethically-minded ways.”

The following articles explore some of the theoretical implications of research using digitizing 3D objects, as well as exploring non-western perspectives on cultural objects.

Jenny Newell, “Old Objects, New Media: Historical Collections, Digitization, and Affect.” Journal of Material Culture, Vol. 17, No. 3, (2012): 287-306. (On Owl)

Ruth B. Phillips, “The Digital (R)Evolution of Museum-Based Research” (Chapter 15 of Museum Pieces: Toward the Indigenization of Canadian Museums) (On Owl).

Devon Elliott, Robert MacDougall, William J. Turkel, “New Old Things: Fabrication, Physical Computing, and Experiment in Historical Practice.” Canadian Journal of Communication, Vol 37, No 1 (2012). (On Owl)

What other aspects of materiality can be digitized? William J. Turkel has some ideas: “Hacking History, from Analog to Digital and Back Again” Rethinking History 15.2 (March 2011) 287-296.  (On Owl)

Finally, have a look at former PH student Jessica DiLaurenzo’s discussion of her Photogrammetry project from a couple years ago. The simplest apps she tried are no longer available, but you can try to make your own 3D images using one of the free apps listed here. 

You can also explore the 3D modelling program sketchup.