Originally unearthed by Richard and Meave Leakey several decades back, the fossils were too large to be moved and remained in the basin, where they underwent erosion and weather damage over time. The fossils, which include crocodiles (Euthecodon brumpti and Rimasuchus Lloydi), elephants (Elephas recki) and turtles (Giant Tortoise), were scanned and their 3D digital models will let researchers all over the world continue their exploration, as well as give the general public access to this prehistoric natural heritage.
For scanning of the fossils, two high-quality professional 3D handheld scanners were used: the Artec Eva and Artec Spider. Both scanners produced highly-detailed scans with minimal scanning time. The Artec Eva 3D scanner was predominantly used for scanning big parts of the fossils, whereas the Artec Spider scanner recorded smaller details and was used on areas such as teeth.
Without any access to electricity to recharge the batteries, Artec 3D handheld scanners proved their capacity of autonomous work for several days, despite the conditions of heat and desert sand.
"When I was a child, I adored stories about paleontological research led by the Leakey family and always wanted to take part in their projects. Today I feel as my dream comes true: our 3D scanners have proven to be useful for this project in Turkana Basin. The excellent quality and portability of our 3D scanners make them ideal for the paleontologists," said Artyom Yukhin, president and CEO of Artec Group. "This scanning project is really important and had to be completed quickly because the fossils have spent too much time without any protection and are very damaged by rains, winds, sun and time. We were honored to have Artec staff on hand to assist with this crucial Leakey project."
The Turkana Basin Institute (TBI) is a privately funded, non-profit initiative, founded by Richard Leakey and Stony Brook University. It is a collaborative, international, multi-disciplinary enterprise that facilitates fieldwork within the Lake Turkana Basin. Its primary research focus is human prehistory and related earth and natural science studies.
About Artec Group
The Artec Group is an international group with subsidiaries in the USA (Palo Alto), Russia (Moscow) and Luxembourg. Artec develops and produces innovative 3D solutions and hardware and software products. Artec has a team of professional experts in the collection and processing of 3D surfaces as well as biometric facial recognition. Artec's products and services can be used in many industries, such as in security technology and in engineering, medicine, media and design, entertainment, fashion, historic preservation, and many more. The corporate culture of Artec Group and its subsidiaries Artec 3D and Artec ID is characterized by a combination of Russian engineering, European business ethics and the spirit of innovation of Silicon Valley.
For more information about Artec Group please visit www.artec-group.com.
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Press Contacts Lynda Starr Vantage PR for Artec Group 973 386 5949 Email Contact
