One of the more fascinating applications for large-volume 3-D scanning is in preserving our past. Sure, for those of you who work in the manufacturing or building industry, 3-D scanning is all about the future, making sure your product is in spec and performs properly going forward. But for those who work in historical preservation, 3-D scanning has given architects and preservationists a mighty tool in their arsenal, one that allows them to preserve, reconstruct, or resurrect heritage sites.

Recently, 3-D laser scanning employing a FARO Focus^3D laser scanner, Pointools software, and various traditional surveying equipment was used to reconstruct a Russian Orthodox church in the Czech Republic. High-resolution and highly accurate 3-D scans along with color image overlays are allowing artisans and architects to bring decorative elements of this amazing church back to life.

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