Michelangelo's David in VR
In 1998 Stanford University teamed up with the Soprintendenza ai beni artistici e storici per le province di Firenze to laser scan Michelangelo’s David. The SIGGRAPH paper was published in 2000, but it was not until 2009 that the entire dataset was pieced together. It totals nearly a billion polygons and has a 1/4mm accuracy.
Because of the size of the dataset it has only ever been viewable in 2D renders, however, sculpture is made to be experienced in the round. Breakthroughs in virtual reality mean that users can immersively experience classical 3D sculpture as if they were there in person.
Epic Games, makers of Unreal Engine, approached Marc Levoy, who oversaw the original laser scanning to allow people to do just that. VR on the Lot attendees will be able to walk around the David, experiencing the 17-foot Giant in breathtaking life size.