CANADIGM is a nonprofit research group dedicated to advancing public education and awareness of events, artifacts, and sites of historical significance through advanced documentation, technology, and media. The group’s first project, Souterraine Impressions, seeks to preserve the chalk-based wall carvings created in 1917 by Canadian soldiers in underground caves during the First World War.

The carvings are in pristine condition but are inaccessible to the public. There is potential for the carvings to be lost to future generations with the possibility of collapse and water damage. After researching the market for 3D scanning hardware, CANADIGM ultimately chose the Virtuoso noncontact laser scanner. The decision was based on two requirements: cost and portability. Being a nonprofit preservation organization, CANADIGM’s challenge was to find a system that met the group’s budget and need to withstand field conditions.

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