Smithsonian 3D-Prints Thomas Jefferson with Museum Quality

RedEye On Demand , a business unit of Stratasys, collaborated  with the Smithsonian to create one of the largest 3D-printed, museum-quality historical replicas in the world. The life-size statue of Thomas Jefferson is a central piece of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) exhibition, “Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty,” which runs through October 14, 2012.

“The details RedEye On Demand incorporated into the Jefferson statue and the quality of the model exceeded our expectations,” says Dorey Butter, project manager at NMAAHC. “3D printing supports the Smithsonian’s mission to increase and diffuse knowledge. Touchable models and scientific replicas can help further our efforts to educate our visitors, and the technology and services at RedEye On Demand have opened our eyes to different possibilities.”

To develop the statue, the Smithsonian's Digitization Program Office took 3D laser scans of an existing statue created by StudioEIS, residing at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello home near Charlottesville, Va. That data was sent to RedEye On Demand as a digital model, and the statue was produced in four parts using Stratasys’ Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology.

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