New replicas of artifacts recovered from the USS Monitor have been created in a new collaborative effort.
The Monitor, the US Navy’s first ironclad vessel built for the American Civil War, fought during the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 8-9, 1862. It sank in a storm off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina nine months later. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Navy recovered hundreds of artifacts from the ship, including the anchor, propulsion engines, gun turret and cannons.
The replica work is the result of a partnership between the University of West Florida’s Sea3D Lab, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The Mariners’ Museum and Park and the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.
The aim of producing highly accurate replicas is to allow the general public to get their hands on an iconic piece of US history. The UWF’s Sea3D Lab sent Murilo Basso, the UWF Haas Center’s mechanical engineer, to the museum along with “Artec Eva,” a scanner that takes 16 images per second. The images are then processed to create highly accurate 3D replicas.
Commenting on the work, Basso stated:
“Artec Eva is a 3D scanner technology that captures high-resolution, accurate and textured 3D models of objects in real-time. The handheld scanner is equipped with structured light technology and uses a combination of white light and a high-resolution camera to scan and capture data with precision. The collaboration between multidisciplinary fields and the aid of current technology now enables us to share the story of the Monitor in diverse ways and in multiple locations simultaneously.”
While Tane Renata Casserley from NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary added:
“Much like the Pensacola Museum of History, even after conservation, Monitor’s artifacts are extremely delicate, and by creating exact replicas with 3D printing, we’re providing access to this incredible naval history in ways we never imagined before.”
Adding to the excitement, Will Hoffman, the director of conservation and chief conservator at The Mariners’ Museum and Park, said:
“The Monitor story is in part, a story of technology and innovation which brought people together for a common goal in 1862. So, it’s exciting that through technology and innovation today, we are now bringing people together to share the story of the USS Monitor to current and future generations!”
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