3D Scanning

During our annual archaeology and collections public open house we ran a 3D scanning and printing booth! We use 3D scanning and printing to document and share artifacts while keeping the originals safe. The scanner captures an object as a collection of points and polygons, which we refine in Artec Studio, a 3D scanning software, to make it as accurate as possible. Once it’s cleaned up, we upload it to Wesleyan’s sketchfab account, so researchers and the public can explore it in 3D.

We used 3D printers in the IDEAS lab to create physical replicas of the objects. We process the digital 3D model in a slicing software, Bambu, adjusting settings like orientation and support structures to make the best print possible. The printer reads this data and builds the object layer by layer using PLA filament. Examining 3D printed replicas is a great way to study artifacts up close while keeping the originals protected!

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This image shows multiple initial scans of a coyote skull from the Environmental Archaeology Lab Collections

3D scan on the skull brought into Bambu

A finalized 3D model ready to be exported.

This image shows a skull once it has been sliced. The orange is the main object and the green are support pieces to help the print come out successfully. You can see that the full print will be 465 layers tall

This image is a view into the actual print at level 198. Again, orange is the main object, green is support. As well, the burgundy grid is the filament that will support the object from the inside. For this scan we have put the infill level very low (5%) to minimize plastic waste.

Coyote bones with 3D printed comparisons.