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From submarines to sculptures, turning real life digital






Question: What are some of the largest things you've scanned?



Q: Why scan monuments?


Q: Why do you scan people?






Q: What's the coolest project you've worked on?



Q: How do artists and museums find scanning helpful?

A: Our data is used to make enlargements. We can scan a model, and in a computer it can be scaled up, and then it can be fabricated at a larger scale as an exact duplicate. They can use it for conceptual purposes — design, analysis, things like that. Are you familiar with the sculpture they want to build in Baltimore that would be monumental in size?

Q: The metal sculpture proposed for the Westport neighborhood, you mean?

A: We scanned [a small model of] that. We scanned that to help them create renderings and visualizations of what that piece [would] look like. … Plus, they can use it for engineering analysis, fabrication and design purposes. Three-D digital data is the foundation for most modern manufacturing.

Q: Industrial and defense work for government contractors was once the majority of your business. Is that still true?

A: Yes, it is. … Our two largest clients, one is defense and one is an art client. Believe it or not.

Q: One of your newer lines of work is scanning buildings about to be renovated. Did contractors come to you, or did you sell them on the idea of 3-D models of the "before" stage?

A: We tend not to go out looking for the business. The phone rings, and the phone has been ringing more often for those types of services.

Q: What else is new these days?

A: We are going to spin off a new business around people scanning, face scanning — mostly for consumer and entertainment purposes. We will put you into video games, we will make bobbleheads of you, and there are other very interesting applications. Very interesting.

Q: Oh, come on — don't tease. What applications?

A: Eventually, you'd be able to put yourself in a movie. How cool would that be?

Q: How many movies has your company worked on?

A: A handful. … Our Abe Lincoln that I described earlier was used in [ "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian"]. Literally. We supplied it for them to use it in the movie for digital effects. If you recall, Abe Lincoln got out of the chair and walked around, thank you very much. And that was Hollywood calling us.

Q: So how's business? Share some numbers.

A: We've never not made some profit. We don't know too many businesses these days who can say that. … Last year we had … total revenue of $3.5 million, and we're on pace to exceed that this year.

Q: How has the work changed over 15 years?

A: What's happening is the world is becoming more and more digital. … We put the physical world into 3-D digital formats. And as the world adopts 3-D more and more, that's why we get more calls.



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