4 Palaeontology Palaeontologists model the Original Tyrannosaurus rex with Leica LR200 Laser Radar Scanners

(Above): The T. rex skeleton scanned resides in the Dinosaur Hall at High-tech laser radar scanners from Leica the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA. It was the Geosystems have been used to produce the most actual evidence -"Type Specimen" - used by Henry Fairfield Osborn to complete digital model to date of the massive first classify the world's most popular dinosaur species in 1905. This dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus rex. In order to demonstrate original skeleton was discovered in the Montana Badlands by the the current state-of-the-art Coherent Laser Radar famous dinosaur hunter Barnum Brown. Today, the dinosaur is estimated to be worth over 50 million dollars (CLR) technology, a team of metrology experts from Leica Geosystems, MAGLEV, Inc. (McKeesport, PA), and MetricVision, in association with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (Pittsburgh, PA), used (Below): The museum will pose two Tyrannosaurus rex fossils, two Leica LR200 Laser Radars to scan every inch and including the actual type surface of the world's most famous dinosaur that skeleton, battling over an resides in the Museum's Dinosaur Hall. Edmontosaurus Collection of 3D data sets computer solid model - an exact digital prototype of The pair of networked the 17-foot tall dinosaur, LR200 coherent Laser radars and the most accurate and were placed upon six-foot comprehensive set of towers and navigated measurements taken of a around the perimeter of the dinosaur of T. rex's scale. historic skeleton in order to The Leica LR200 is the ideal collect accurate 3D data measurement device for sets, otherwise known as precisely measuring large point clouds. The gathered objects with scan rates up point clouds were then used to 1000 points per second at to measure and build a 3D volumes up to 48 cubic Palaeontology 5 meters with accuracy up to "Using a direct measure- 20 microns. The instrument ment instrument, we are About MAGLEV, Inc. is the first non-contact capturing very high preci- Incorporated in 1990, MAGLEV's mission is to create an measurement device to sion T. rex surface data, in integrated Pennsylvania Industry/Government partner- combine radar, laser and 3D contrast to less accurate ship and implement manufacturing, construction, and software technologies. artistic methods - the laser deployment of a Transrapid International magnetically Other supporters of the radar has enabled us to levitated high-speed transportation system beginning in project included measure- acquire accuracy up to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "Based on the same level of ment specialists from ATT 250 microns," Steve Hand, precision, we will use the laser radar technology to Metrology Services®, New an expert metrologist at build highly accurate guideway beams for high-speed River Kinematics® with MAGLEV, Inc. and project magnetically levitating trains," Steve Hand said. Spatial Analyzer™, the manager, said. "Using the The company acquired their coherent laser scanner operating software and resultant 3D computer through a contract with the Office of Naval Research Unigraphics® for their model, Carnegie palaeon- for a study of weld distortion in steel beams for surfacing software, Image- tologists will be able to take shipbuilding applications. The collaborative endeavour ware™. The team of T. rex apart in sections, between MAGLEV and U.S. Office of Naval Research engineers and scientists even vertebrae by verte- (ONR) provides the research and testing groundwork donated the entire digital brae, to re-position the to perform weld distortion analysis for the manufacture library of T. rex data to the dinosaur." of highly accurate large steel curved beams using the Carnegie Museum of "But the benefits of the scan LR200 laser radar. For more information, visit Natural History for use in do not stop here. The http://www.maglevinc.com. future research and artefact precise model will serve as conservation. the foundation for scientific demonstration of accuracy analysis, comparisons to in measurement, scanning Modelling with a digital other fossils, and more." capability and rapid replica manufacture will not only The T. Rex walks again help revolutionize the field Palaeontologists now of palaeontology, but it will believe the Tyrannosaurus The story, however, did not benefit generations of species carried its tail high end there. Extrude Hone dinosaur lovers for many in the air. The museum will Corporation's ProMetal years to come. therefore pose two Division, took the scanned Tyrannosaurus rex fossils, data and replicated the including the actual type famous T. rex in solid metal. skeleton, battling over an This was created by 3D Edmontosaurus (see sketch Printing – a process that left), thus setting the stage manufactures highly for an investigation into accurate and complex carnivorous dinosaur metal, ceramic, or metal behaviour. With an exact ceramic composites from (Right): The LR200 coherent computer digital replica, the three-dimensional comput- Laser radars had to be placed on museum will be able to eas- er-aided design (CAD) towers in order to navigate ily model the 3D skeleton in models. around the skeleton different configurations, choose the most appealing The partnership proved that (Below left): The Laser radars positions, and then design science and technology - produce accurate 3D data set the required support. This combined with a little known as point clouds high precision data can also imagination - can help be used further down the museums preserve and pro- (Below): The gathered point road for scientific analysis mote one of the earth's clouds were then used to of the fossilized bones. most valued artefacts. This measure and build a 3D com- puter solid model