3D scanning helps those with visual impairments experience sculpting

Auguste Rodin’s “Head of Balzac” is one of the four sculptures scanned by NVision HandHeld laser scanner. NVision

Southlake, Texas-based NVision Inc., in cooperation with the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, is making it possible for those with vision impairment to engage interactively with some of the great works by modern sculptors.

NVision recently scanned four sculptures for the Nasher. The scanning data was used to 3D-print to-scale replicas of the sculptures for a tactile educational experience for the blind and visually impaired.

“Who has not been tempted to touch an artwork by a master like Rodin? These scans make that wish possible for everyone to experience,” said Lynda Wilbur, manager of tour programs at the Nasher. “It is particularly meaningful when visually enjoying the lines, textures, and emotive qualities of a work is not possible due to blindness. These scans of works by significant artists of the 20th century allow our public a rare, hands-on experience.”

NVision technicians performed the scanning in the Nasher’s Conservation and Art Storage facilities using the company’s HandHeld laser scanner to collect data on the sculptures’ complex shapes, contours, and surface details. The scanner generated point clouds comprising millions of points, each with XYZ coordinates and IJK vectors.

After converting the sculptures’ point clouds to a raw STL file, NVision imported the file into modeling software and then processed the data to an IGES/STEP model, from which CAD models were created. The models were then 3D-printed in time for the workshop session.

The scanning process for all four sculptures was done in 2-1/2 hours.