White House video highlights Army's 3-D scanning capabilities

By Joyce M. Conant, ARL Public AffairsJanuary 13, 2015

Digital and 3-D printed bust and life mask
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies was part of a Smithsonian-led team that created 3-D portraits of President Barack Obama. The portraits include a digital and 3-D printed bust and life mask. Both were on disp... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
President Barack Obama
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies was part of a Smithsonian-led team that created 3-D portraits of President Barack Obama. The portraits include a digital and 3-D printed bust and life mask. Both were on disp... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
3-D portraits of President Barack
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies was part of a Smithsonian-led team that created 3-D portraits of President Barack Obama. The portraits include a digital and 3-D printed bust and life mask. Both were on disp... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (Jan. 12, 2015) The White House released a video documenting how a Smithsonian-led team created the first 3-D models of a president. The video highlights the use of an Army-funded Light Stage scanning system, which was key to creating the highest resolution digital model that has ever been made of the head of state.

The Mobile Light Stage, delivered to the White House from the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies, or ICT, an Army-sponsored, University Affiliated Research Center that is managed by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, collects detailed facial and reflectance data in a process lasting about a second. The development of this high-speed, high-resolution system is the result of nearly 15 years of Army investment in technologies for creating believable digital doubles that can be used for training.

"Over the years, realistic faces created using Light Stage scan data have appeared in Army simulations, in movies and in video games," said Paul Debevec, ICT's chief visual officer. "We are thrilled that this technology could now be applied to this historic and exciting project."

The video explains that for the Smithsonian, the project presents an opportunity to use modern day technologies to connect us to history.

According to a White House Office of Science and Technology Policy blog post, the video illustrates the innovative capabilities of 3-D scanning, modeling and printing. It states that the democratization of tools and technologies like 3-D printing has the potential to create more opportunities to engage students in STEM, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics, education, facilitate entrepreneurship, and boost advanced manufacturing in the United States.

"It is gratifying to see Army-sponsored research transition in projects like this," said Army Reasearch Lab's John Hart, chief of the human research and engineering directorate's Creative Technologies Branch, located in Orlando, Florida, and the program manager for ICT. "ICT's Light Stage scanning process demonstrates the power of technology to help preserve our past and inspire our future leaders."

In addition to ICT's Light Stage, a Smithsonian team used handheld 3-D scanners and traditional single-lens reflex cameras to record peripheral 3-D data to create an accurate bust. The data captured was post-processed by 3-D graphics experts at the software company Autodesk to create final high-resolution models. The life mask and bust were then printed using 3-D Systems' Selective Laser Sintering printers.

"This collaboration is a great symbol of the imagination and innovation that the government, academia and industry can accomplish by working together," said Randall W. Hill, Jr., ICT's executive director. "It also provides a literal example of research leaving the lab -- going directly into the White House -- to make a powerful societal impact."

The 3-D presidential models of President Barack Obama -- a bust and a life mask -- were part of the National Portrait Gallery and were on display at the Smithsonian Castle through the end of last year.

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The Army Research Laboratory is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to develop technology and engineering solutions for America's Soldiers.

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Related Links:

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U.S. Army Materiel Command

<b>Story:</b> Army-sponsored research produces first-of-its kind 3-D models of a president

Army.mil: Science and Technology News

U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command

<b>Story:</b> New Video Provides a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the First 3D-Printed Presidential Portraits

<B>White House Video</B>