Replica Fabrication of a Greek Paleontological Find Utilising Laser Scanning and Fused Deposition Modeling

摘要

The current work demonstrates a feasibility study on the generation of a copy, having a highly complex geometry, of a Greek paleontological find utilising reverse engineering and low-cost rapid prototyping techniques. A part of the jaw bone of a cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) that lived during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 10,000 years ago was digitized using a three dimensional laser scanner. The resulting point-cloud of the scans was treated with a series of advanced software for the creation of surfaces and ultimately for a digital model. The generated model was three-dimensionally built by the aid of a Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) apparatus which was subsequently treated with acrylic coatings and paints in order to match the colour of the paleontological find. An analytical methodology is presented revealing the step by step approach from the scanning to the prototyping. It is believed that a variety of interested parties could benefit from such an analytical approach, including, production engineers, three-dimensional CAD users and designers, palaeontologists and museum curators.