UCLB News

Novel 3D Colour Laser Scanner facility officially opened at UCL Chorley Institute

29 September 2008

The latest generation, £500,000 Arius3D colour laser scanner, the first of its kind in Europe, was formally opened today at UCL.

First installed in October 2006, ongoing seminars and training programmes have attracted UCL experts in engineering, biomedicine, architecture and social sciences, as well as visitors from the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Museum of London and the National Trust. Further delegates from Sharp, Arup, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Courtauld Institute, the UCL Anatomy & Developmental Biology, the UCL Eastman Dental Institute, UCL Computer Science and the UCL National Medical Laser Centre will also attend this month.

Formally opening the facility, Professor Malcolm Grant, Provost and President of UCL, thanked Arius3D and Dr Anna Clark (UCL Business PLC), who initiated and led the negotiations.

Speakers at the event, including Professor Bernard Buxton (Dean of UCL Engineering Sciences), Brian Mori (President of Arius3D, a Canadian company) and Dr Clark, praised the development of one of the highest-quality 3D scanners in the world and thanked all involved.

The new scanner‘s applications will serve a range of sectors, including – but not limited to – heritage, engineering, medicine, dentistry, anthropology, archaeology, art and architecture. Collaborative projects to date include the scanning of artefacts in the UCL Petrie Museum, which will have the opportunity to display and to support 3D imaging of its collection, while retaining copyright of the images.

In the heritage sector, UCL aims to set international standards and best practice for 3D laser technology and visualisation, as well as developing significant new technologies for authentication, registration and measurement of decay.

Attendees to the event included three external members of the new UCL Research Challenges Board: Dr Reg Hinkley (CEO of BP’s main UK pension fund), Alain Marcetteau (COO, Arup Europe) and Dr Malcolm Cooper (Head of Research, City of London). Other attendees included Jim McGlone (CFO, Arius3D) and representatives from Centrica, Bonham’s, the British Museum, the Museum of London, Invest in Denmark, the Canadian High Commission, the BBC and the National Trust.

Further Information:
To find out more about Arius3D or UCL Business PLC, contact Dr. Anna Clark, Director of Business Partnerships, at: a.clark@uclb.com