Cuneiform Tablet (creativemachineslab)

myminifactory

Professors Hod Lipson and David I. Owen collaborated on this project. Professor Owen, a renowned expert in ancient Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, serves as curator for Cornell's vast collection of nearly 10,000 cuneiform tablets from ancient Mesopotamia. To learn more about the tablet collection, visit Cornell University's Cuneiform Library. Lipson and Owen envisioned using cutting-edge technology to create precise replicas of the tablets that mirror their originals in appearance and feel. A desktop 3D scanner or a CT Scanner was used to meticulously scan each tablet. Following scanning, the software ScanStudio HD was employed for post-processing and generating 3D printable files from the scans. Utilizing VRML file format, prototypes were created (with ZCorp-type powder-based ink-jet printers) that accurately replicate the original tablets' color and texture. The software also offers the capability to output the files in STL format, enabling prints with other printing technologies (FDM, SLA, etc.) without retaining color and texture matching. The accompanying video showcases a CT Scan of three cuneiforms, including their internal cross-sections. Note how the conical spiraling pattern suggests that conical cuneiforms were created by rolling the clay. Further reading is available through related publications: 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, Aug 2008.