Just had the most amazing and emotional Memorial Day experience ever. Rode out to the USS Arizona with one of 10 remaining survivors Don Stratton and the project team from NPS and Autodesk I have been working with.
Two photos from today at World War !! Valor in the Pacific press event:
I will be posting about this project, the team, the technology, partners, my participation, and sharing some of the photos of this amazing experience including finding that I had a relative that perished on the USS Arizona.
The past 6 months of working on this special project has been truly an honor.
-Shaan
Underwater Lidar scanning!
National Park Service and Autodesk Carry Out First Comprehensive Digital Survey to Preserve the USS Arizona and Memorial
Collaboration marks the first time LiDAR, Sonar, underwater laser scanning, and photographs are brought together to create an intelligent 3D model
HONOLULU, May 26, 2014—In honor of U.S. military veterans, the National Park Service (NPS) and Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK) hosted a press conference today to unveil preliminary results from the first comprehensive survey of the USS Arizona and Memorial in 30 years and its resulting 3D models.
Consistent with Autodesk’s vision to help people imagine, design and create a better world, the survey takes full advantage of the latest technology for the purposes of both historic preservation and public education. Scheduled to be completed later this year, the survey will provide the public with a more detailed view and understanding of this historic site while contributing to the ship’s ongoing preservation.
At today’s Memorial Day press conference, a 3D printout of the USS Arizona showcased details never seen before on paper. In addition, highly detailed 3D models of a cooking pot and Coke bottle that have sat on the ship’s galley for the past 72 years were also created and displayed. Each model featured intricate details including color and the barnacles now present on the cooking pot. Autodesk and NPS hope to create a 3D model of the USS Arizona in its entirety by the end of this year.
“This technological approach helps make the USS Arizona’s legacy come alive that just wasn’t possible before,” said National Park Service Superintendent Paul DePrey. “The USS Arizona is one of America’s most revered historical sites. As its steward, the National Park Service has a mission to share the story of December 7 with current and future generations. Creating 3D models allows people to see and touch these highly detailed and accurate replicas, something that will play an important role in our educational outreach program.”
Also present at the press conference was 92 year old USS Arizona survivor Don Stratton, one of only nine remaining USS Arizona survivors still alive, and one of only a few hundred to make it off the ship. Stratton was only 19 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He along with six other crewmembers went hand over hand on a heaving line across the burning deck to safety on the USS Vestal that was moored alongside the USS Arizona that fateful morning. Stratton suffered burns over 70 percent of his body.
When presented with the 3D print of the cooking pot for the first time, Stratton said, “That is amazing. I don’t know anybody in the galley that survived that day. At the time of the explosion, it was self-preservation. After that, it was extremely hard to return. Now, when I go back and remember, it’s a little easier. I think it [3D artifacts] will make an impression on a lot of people, I really do.”
Stratton’s son Randy Stratton, who was also present, said, “You can’t duplicate these artifacts. They represent the beginning of the war, the end of the war and the fact that there is still life there [on the USS Arizona].”
Stratton concluded, “I hope they remember all the shipmates that are still aboard the Arizona. And I hope they remember all the people that gave their lives for this great country.”
Approximately 900 remains of the 1,777 officers, sailors and Marines killed still remain inside the USS Arizona; therefore any work done on the ship must be done with extreme care and sensitivity. With this in mind, the NPS is leading the effort to create a highly accurate, 3D digital representation, while minimizing any disturbance to the ship. NPS is employing Autodesk’s reality computing technology, underwater photogrammetry, subsea LiDAR, high resolution SONAR, and above water laser scanning to conduct investigation and analysis without disturbing the ship.
“The USS Arizona Memorial is such an important yet fragile piece of history,” said Brian Mathews, vice president, Autodesk. “Reality Computing is an emerging concept that bridges the physical and digital worlds, and Autodesk sees great potential in supporting the National Park Service and preservationists around the world with reality computing technology to capture, analyze and communicate these stories of our past for future generations.”
Other organizations involved in the survey include: HDR, Sam Hirota, Inc., Oceanic Imaging Consultants, Inc., 3DatDepth, Shark Marine Technologies, Inc., United States Coast Guard, and the US Navy Mobile Diving Salvage Unit One.
Link to the entire Press release Link
Gizmodo story:
Dive into This Digital USS Arizona in the Name of Conservation
