Cuneiform Tablet (creativemachineslab)

myminifactory

This project began as a collaborative effort between Professors Hod Lipson and David I. Owen. As curator of Cornell's collection of nearly 10,000 cuneiform tablets from ancient Mesopotamia, Owen oversees the university's vast repository of artifacts. To learn more about Cornell's impressive tablet collection, visit the Cuneiform Library at Cornell University. Owen and Lipson conceived the idea of leveraging 3D scanning and printing technology to create precise replicas of the tablets that closely mimic their original counterparts. Using a desktop 3D scanner or CT Scanner, high-definition scans of the tablets were captured with exceptional detail. The accompanying software, ScanStudio HD, was then employed for post-processing and generating 3D printable files from these scans. With the VRML file format, prototypes were created using ZCorp-type powder-based ink-jet printers that accurately replicated the look and texture of the original tablets. Additionally, the software allows for outputting files in STL format, enabling prints to be made with various printing technologies (FDM, SLA, etc.) that preserve the structural integrity of the tablets. The accompanying video showcases a CT Scan of three cuneiforms, including their internal cross-sections and the conical spiraling patterns found within. This suggests that conical cuneiforms were indeed created by rolling clay into these distinctive shapes. For further reading: Knapp M., Wolff R., Lipson H. (2008), "Developing Printable Content: A Repository for Printable Teaching Models," Proceedings of the 19th Annual Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium, Austin TX, August 2008