3D printing has undoubtedly been a winner in every field that it has entered. From creating plastic items to the creation of kidney and prosthetics, 3D printing has proved its potential and versatility. Just when everyone thought that there’s no other field left to be conquered by a 3D printer, it went out and proved everyone wrong by creating a President!
Barack Obama is the first president to have been 3D scanned and printed. Obama’s 3D printed bust and mold of his face was put on display on June, 18 at the White House Maker Faire. This is a faire which celebrates the success of students and entrepreneurs who are using technology in order to make new products and business. This is done in collaboration with Smithsonian Institution.
A team of 3D digital imaging specialists from the Smithsonian Institution scanned the face of the president this year. They scanned the face of the president with the extended help from the University of Southern California which provided them with the Light Stage Face Scanner to digitally capture the face of the president in high resolution. Apart from the scanner the university also provided a handheld 3D scanner and a SLR camera in order to create a reconstruction of the bust. After this, the experts in 3D graphics from Autodesk produced a high resolution models which was then printed using Selective Laser Sintering Printer by 3D Systems.
The model would eventually join the collection at the National Portrait Gallery which is also the house of the much famous life masks of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.
Image Credit: Marc Nozell (flickr handle: Marcn)