Scottish laser beam to save presidents' face
Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:56:08 GMT
Scottish scientists have run a project to record 3-D scans of world heritage sites to be rebuilt in case they fall victim to attacks, earthquakes or some other calamity. The faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln soon will go under laser scan to provide archeologists with a digital three-dimensional model of the iconic South Dakota Mountain carving from all angles.
Such a data base can give archeologists the best opportunities to repair or rebuild world heritage sites to their original condition if they are damaged due to any reason.
The project is a step forward to digitally preserve cultural heritage sites using laser scanning and other technologies.
It explores the possibility of restoration of at-risk sites, including the Acropolis in Athens, which is threatened by acid rain, and Machu Picchu in Peru, which suffers from excessive tourism.
