Dec 20, 2016 | By Benedict
A division of the Korean government has announced an agreement with 3D content provider 3Dupndown to distribute 3D printable items relating to Korea’s cultural heritage. The 3D printable models will include recognizably Korean historical artifacts such as celadon and white porcelain.
With its ability to transform physical artifacts into digital 3D models, 3D scanning technology is radically changing the way historians approach the delicate art of preservation. Using either stationary of handheld 3D scanning equipment, it is now possible to digitally preserve and replicate entire museums’ worth of precious historical pieces. Once the 3D scanning has taken place, files can be uploaded to the internet and shared with people from all over the world, giving casual observers and committed researchers equal chance to get up close and personal with some of history’s most incredible objects.
South Korea, usually ahead of the curve in terms of technology, has just taken a huge step towards making its cultural heritage digitally accessible to all, both in the form of online 3D models of historical artifacts and even 3D printed replicas of those same items. It was recently announced by the K-ICT Born2Global Centre (Born2Global), a major Korean government agency under the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning (MSIP), that 3Dupndown Co., Ltd, a member of Born2Global, would introduce digital, 3D printable items of Korea’s cultural heritage. Many of the items were published online on December 17, and more are due to follow.
The 3D models of Korean historical artifacts, which were obtained using 3D scanning technology, will be distributed, sold, and commercially utilized across the world, as per an agreement between 3Dupndown and Korea’s Culture Information Service Agency, which is an affiliated organization of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. The 3D printable models, which will vary in price (from completely free) depending on their size and significance, will include recognizably Korean items such as celadon and white porcelain, stoneware, and wooden furniture.
“There is plenty of international interest in Korea's cultural heritage which was 3D printed and displayed at Pangyo Startup Campus," said 3Dupndown CEO Alex. P. Hong. “A lot of people around the world will download it, as 3D printers have already been commercialized abroad. We hope that this will be an opportunity to promote Korea's cultural heritage through 3D printing and contribute to the development of the 3D printing industry.”
According to a recent press release, 3Dupndown—a global platform in Asia that provides a 3D printable content service in eight languages—will steadily publish around 2,000 pieces of Korea's cultural heritage to its website, all of which will be 100% 3D printable. Individual pages for each 3D printable model contain information about the item’s material, origin, museum location, and purpose.
Korea’s decision to cooperate with a 3D content company in order to publish digital versions of its museum collections could set an important precedent in terms of global attitudes toward 3D scanning and 3D printing. Should the collaboration prove successful, other nations proud of their cultural heritage could be tempted to follow suit.
Posted in 3D Design
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