Mount Rushmore going under the laser
| July 29, 2009 | 12:18 PM
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Mount Rushmore will be hit by lasers.
No, it isn’t a psychic prediction or science fiction plot.
A laser-scanning project will be carried out this fall to create a three-dimensional model of the national monument. That way, it could be repaired or rebuilt if it were ever damaged by an earthquake or other natural disaster. Or if some rock-headed terrorist decided to attack it.
Crews from Scotland and a California-based company called Cyark will shoot laser beams at the stoic, stone presidents to capture their details from every angle. Along with helping to protect the national treasure from being lost to some unthinkable disaster, the high-tech re-creation eventually could be used in the monument’s visitor center, to help educate children about Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln.
Mount Rushmore isn’t the first treasure to be scanned under the National Park Service‘s laser-preservation program. The Statue of Liberty was among the first to be imaged after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Colorado’s Mesa Verde also has been documented as one of CyArk’s worldwide projects.
The laser technology costs about $100,000 to acquire, but the Scottish government is providing the equipment, along with workers, for the scanning of Mount Rushmore. Once completed, the 3-D data will be available to the public on CyArk’s Web site.
Read more at usatoday.com.
3-d images, earthquake, laser scanning, mount rushmore, natural disasters, park service, scotland, south dakota, statue of liberty, terrorist attacks
