Scanning the world and democratising culture through 3D

Scan the World is a community-led initiative whose mission is to build an ecosystem of shared stories around our global heritage using 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies. Every object uploaded to the Scan the World platform is free to download by all users and originates from 3D scan data, contributed either by our vast community of enthusiasts and storytellers, or through museums sharing their collections openly with the world.

Scan the World was born to break down the traditional structure of cultural institutions that made it difficult for people to engage with their own heritage. Since the start of the project, content has become widely used and therefore impactful - in particular supporting accessibility and education - solidifying the project’s purpose of making heritage accessible to all.

Its democratised nature means that producing 3D printed models is cost-effective for projects of all kinds. In initiatives with a larger budget, casts of printed objects can be made from jesmonite - an eco-friendly material - making the object more durable and long-lasting, and suitable for touring or outreach activities. In a recent collaboration with The Watts Gallery, 3D scans we created were printed and used within two accessibility projects. This included a partnership with a prison in an effort to bring the copies out of the confines of the museum walls and into the hands of those who are unable to access the works. After the end of the project, the 3D printed works were made available to all visitors to the museum who could touch and interact with the copies. Equally, the models are free to download from Scan the World so they can be remixed, animated or even printed at home!

The project started by running guerilla-style scanathons in museums and galleries using our own smart phones and cameras by deploying the method of ‘Photogrammetry’, which is the process of stitching together a series of images to produce a 3D model of an object or environment. Attendees were taught about both 3D scanning and 3D printing and would systematically scan as many artefacts in the museum as possible. Since then, the project has orchestrated the public release of over 25,000 objects of cultural significance. This includes official partnerships with over 50 institutions whereby we provide the end-to-end 3D scanning, archiving and marketing of their collections.

The community still hosts their own scanathons across the globe, teaching each other in small ecosystems with the aim of sharing stories that aren’t always hosted within museums. One example of this was a small community who hosted a scanathon to digitise the Stepwells of Gujarat, made to teach local residents about democratised 3D new technologies and open source software as well as the social importance of these waterways throughout western India.

Scan the World, as well as a scanning and archival service, offers ‘official’ workshops and scanathons within museums as part of an effort to educate and inspire cultural institutions to embrace 3D technologies and adopt the OpenGLAM movement within their digital ecosystems. This includes running workshops for internal staff as well as opening up workshops as engaging activities for visitors or student groups of all ages.

Some challenges…

We worked with The Victoria and Albert Museum on a series of workshops within the digital learning department with the aim of educating visitors and staff about the potential of 3D technologies. The great thing about 3D scanning is that it is a very fun and interactive activity, as well as hands-on for people of all abilities. We use an Artec Eva scanner, a structured light machine that can digitise in full colour to an accuracy of up to 0.1mm. But, 3D printing takes time. Although the technology is becoming a lot quicker, 3D printers are still slow.

We believe that ensuring your resulting 3D scanned models are printable is vital for your collection. In an age of mass digitisation, metaverses and big organisations monetising others’ data, ensuring that your collections are shared to a high quality as well as being usable in as many ways as possible is important. By opening your collection so that tangible copies can be made by anyone, it opens up heritage to those who are visually impaired or cannot physically visit the museum site.

Next steps for 3D and digital cultural heritage

I believe that for collections to be accessed, shared and known, we have to truly understand the community that will use them. Engaging with your community is important, and within the digital and internet age it has been proven that open access information is the key for attracting a diverse and global audience.

My hope for the future of 3D digital cultural heritage is that more meaningful data is collected and shared with the world, with a focus on sustainability rather than major profit margins. As knowledge of 3D is developing beyond superficial experiences and printing firearms, we're starting to understand that the technology can be used to create connections between institutions and, most importantly, with their visitors and audiences.

Get in touch!

Scan the World stands as an open call to all cultural heritage professionals. Our aim is to teach 3D technologies with a purpose, and encourage meaningful projects across the globe to make collections accessible to all. In offering a 3D digitisation, archiving and sharing service for collections of all shapes and sizes, as well as workshops for internal staff and external visitors, we provide a concise and fundamental introduction to the full 3D pipeline.

You can get in touch with me at [email protected]. Or you can follow our scanning adventures, as well as the inspiring remixes and 3D prints made by the community through our social media channels and newsletter.

Instagram - @scantheworld

Twitter - @scan_the_world

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