What animals are you most excited to 3D scan?
I can’t wait for one of our first global projects – Sea Turtles of the World. Many of these beloved species are highly endangered, and at the heart of extensive research and conservation efforts. In partnership with several renowned sea turtle scientists, Duncan and I will be traveling to Costa Rica next fall to create 3D models of the Olive Ridley, Green, and Hawksbill sea turtles. We are also planning to visit Florida and Australia to scan the other four species of sea turtles. With this collection of interactive 3D models, I hope we can engage students to learn more about these incredible animals, and also inspire a new wave of conservation.
What are your plans for expanding this project?
Over the next few years, we plan on growing and diversifying our library of 3D assets to hundreds, if not thousands of models. In order to do so, our interdisciplinary team of professional photographers, scientists, engineers, animators, and educators will continue innovating novel technology platforms, optimizing our digital content workflow and building a vast network of partner programs and companies. The more people that get involved with Digital Life – as partner organizations, donors, collaborators, students, or even wildlife enthusiasts – the greater impact our project will have. It’s going to take a massive collective effort to digitally preserve the heritage of all life on Earth, but we are thrilled to begin the journey.
December 2016 - Technology
128 - SEVENSEAS