It seems that, with every passing day, another precious species faces the fight against endangerment, whether it be through human recklessness, climate change, or other unfortunate factors. There are over 55 species of birds that have already flown onto endangered and threatened lists, ranging from the penguin to the eagle. In order to help preserve and educate us on these flying fellows, 3D printing marketplace Threeding.com and 3D scanning company Artec 3D are partnering up to 3D scan and print all 55 of these endangered and threatened birds.
In order to prepare the collection for the 3D printer, Threeding.com used two of Artec’s high-resolution scanners, the Spider and Eva, as well as their proprietary Studio software to turn the scan data into a 3D model. The 3D scans were captured from educational models from a variety of scientific facilities, ensuring that they are all anatomically accurate. The project aims to provide a number of students, from those studying veterinary medicine to biology, access to otherwise ‘hard-to-find’ endangered or extinct species.
“We are extremely happy to extend our portfolio of 3D printing files to ornithology models,” said Cveta Partaleva, the co-founder of Threeding.com. “Our aim is to make our website not only a consumer platform, but also the premier resource for educational and scientific 3D printable models.”
Threeding.com and Artec 3D are bringing a host of unique and endangered birds to the print bed, including the eastern imperial eagle, the white-tailed eagle, the boreal owl, the black-crowned night heron, the Humboldt penguin, the long-eared owl, and much more. In fact, the complete collection of ornithology models will be made free for all Threeding.com users throughout the month of April. The 3D marketplace has also been collaborating with a number of museums on educational projects regarding paleontology, anatomy, and archeology, all of which will be made public in the near future.
First founded by a group of students from the Bulgarian National Academy of Art back in 2013, Threeding.com has put a primary focus on using 3D printing technology to enhance educational and scientific experiences for students around the world. I’ll likely be printing myself a Humboldt penguin model to be my desk companion sometime this month, but for Threeding.com and Artec 3D, the project is all about providing education on these wondrous and endangered birds.
“The preservation of all animal species is of critical importance and relies heavily upon education,” said Artyom Yukhin, the president and CEO of Artec 3D. “The portability and ease afforded to users of our handheld scanners and software suite is offering a means for students, scientists and conservationists alike to exchange information and work together in this effort.”
