Hello Kate,
DeMontfort University in Leicester are doing several digital heritage initiatives that involve local museums and a range of 'new' technologies including 3D scanning, modelling and digital printing - a number of which were funded by the recent All Our Stories HLF funding stream. The person to talk to there is Douglas Cawthorne (can't find his email address - sorry).
Also, the new Richard III exhibition in Leicester features a recreated model of Richard's skull which was created from MRI scans of the skull which were carried out at the local hospital - the skull itself was then reproduced at Loughborough University. The curator of the exhibition, Laura Hadland, who is based at Jewry Wall Museum, Leicester might be able to tell you more about that.
Hope that's helpful,.
Rob
Robin Clarke
Distance Learning Academic Manager
School of Museum Studies
University of Leicester
19 University Road
Leicester
LE1 7RF
Tel: 0116 252 3973
Skype: MuseumStudiesRob
Email: [log in to unmask]
www.le.ac.uk/museumstudies
Follow us on Twitter: @LeicsMusStud
-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of greenland ship
Sent: 17 March 2013 12:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Futureology and print your own statue
Dear all,
Wonder if I can pick your brains.
I was just putting material together for the next National Museum Directors' Council newsletter (which you too can receive, by signing up in the left column here: http://www.nationalmuseums.org.uk/) when I came across a fascinating report from the American Alliance of Museums on the trends which they think are going to be the most groundbreaking over the next couple of decades.
The report is here: http://aam-us.org/docs/center-for-the-future-of-museums/trendswatch2013.pdf?utm_source=CFM&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=TrendsWatch
From page 13, there's fascinating stuff about 3D printing, which uses a variety of organic materials and a bond to create all sorts of spare parts, specialised medical support -- and potentially, copies of statues and other objects in a museum collection. It offers the possibility that someone who'd really liked your Rodin in Room 3 could then nip down the gift shop and print off their own scale copy on the way out.
Of course the knack is all in the programming, and apparently at least four (unnamed) US museums have already held 'scanathons' or 'hackathons', bringing together artists and techies to create blueprints based on museum objects.
My questions are:
-- is anyone aware of UK museums experimenting in this area? If so, I'd be really fascinated to know how far they've got
-- when I told my family about this, they all yawned and said the technology has potentially been around for years, but then half of them are designers. Have I missed a memo, or does this sound as groundbreaking to you as it does to me?
Many thanks,
Kate
(also at [log in to unmask])
@nmdcnews
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