Reconstructing A 19th Century Ship in Australia Using 3D Technology

While additive manufacturing offers the possibility of producing and repairing all sorts of parts, it can also be used to reconstruct old models, whatever they may be. And the Silentworld Foundation, an Australian non-profit organization focused on marine archaeology and heritage, understands this to say the least. Thanks to 3D technologies, several old boats have been modeled in 3D by Silentworld, including the boat named “Barangaroo Boat”. Found in Sydney, this 19th century ship was discovered during excavations, and to reproduce it, the Silentworld team used upon the 3D scanner manufacturer Artec 3D.

Scanning all of the parts that make up the Barangaroo Boat was no simple task. In order to avoid breaking the parts that make up the 1820 boat, each part was carefully removed before being scanned. For the Barangaroo Boat, but also other 3D scanned boats, 3D technologies allow companies to save precious time. In this case, with the Artec 3D scanner, it took only three months to get the data for the various parts. If Silentworld had used traditional methods, it would have taken more than a year to obtain such data.

The Barangaroo Boat which was discovered during excavations (photo credits: Silentworld)

The Artec Eva 3D scanner

To scan the old boat, the two companies used the Artec Eva 3D scanner, one of the most popular machines on the market. According to the manufacturer, Eva is a lightweight, fast and versatile scanner, offering accuracy down to 0.1 mm without the need for a target. Artec’s 3D scanner has scanned as many as 300 parts and achieved accurate reproduction of wood in both geometry and color. Finally, Eva’s accuracy gave companies the ability to highlight patterns, nail marks and other fine details, crucial data according to the Silentworld Foundation.

Ben Myers, director of 3D scanning at Artec 3D partner Thinglab, concluded, “We look forward to growing our relationship and helping the Foundation explore how they can further utilize the Artec portfolio. We are very honored to have contributed, in a small way, to helping the Silentworld Foundation record and use 3D data.” And the digitization of the Barangaroo Boat is not an isolated case. Since the discovery, the Silentworld Foundation has scanned three other shipwrecks and continues to use 3D technologies to reconstruct old boat parts and models. You can find out more HERE.

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*Thumbnail Photo Credits: Creaform