Dinosaur Mammals Are Being Preserved with 3D Laser Scanning

A highly accurate method to preserve details

As children, we learn about dinosaurs and how they once roamed our planet thousands of years ago. We have dedicated scientists whose goal is to preserve these fossils and handle them delicately to study them. After they study these bones, they create replicas through hard work and a very tedious process. Thanks to technology advancing, these same researchers cannot create replicas easier than ever before.

3D technology allows researchers to scan bones to pick up details, but they can use 3D printers to recreate the bones exactly how they are scanned. This has created a smoother and more accurate process for creating dinosaur bones. It has enhanced our museums and opened up our minds to new possibilities. We are closer to dinosaurs than we have ever been before.

This technology was originally created in the 1960s but was not adopted until the 1990s after all the kinks were worked out. Since its original form, it has turned into a handheld device that is easily portable and budget-friendly. Many professionals have adopted this technology because of all of the benefits 3D laser scanning provides.

3D laser scanning is perfect for recreating dinosaur bones

The original way to create replicas of dinosaur bones was a very intense process. First, a paleontologist would have to have means to dig up a site if they thought it was a spot where there could be bones to study. This process was not always the most accurate. After that, if they found bones, they would need to slowly uncover them. Then they would create molds, and because of the process and how gentle the bones needed to be handled, they sometimes broke.

Using 3D laser scanning, they can now scan an area that has yet to be uncovered to figure out if there could be bones under the surface. They still have to uncover the site very carefully to not break the bones. However, once they are fully revealed, they can take a 3D laser scanning device, to receive accurate scans of the bones. Then they can create models from 3D printers. A nonprofit museum in Texas has adopted this technology and has done wonders with it.

The benefits of using 3D laser scanning for research

The Texas Museum Through Time has fully adopted the 3D laser scanning devices to recreate very rare dinosaurs, other mammals, and creatures. The researchers and team members decided to use this technology because it is entirely non-invasive and highly precise. It can pick up the most microscopic details that may go missed by a researcher.

Anyone who enters the museum will notice the highly detailed bones of the replicated copies of the dinosaurs. Thanks to 3D laser scanning, they are some of the most accurate replicas you could ever see. As this technology develops and updates, so will the things, we create using this tool.

Final thoughts

3D laser scanning has become some of the most advanced technology in the world. Due to all of the benefits, many professionals around the world are adopting it. This technology is becoming widely popular, soon we will have scanners on our phones, computers and even cameras.

Keep reading: more articles about 3D scanning

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