obama 3d bust A 3D-printed bust of President Barack Obama made by the Smithsonian. YouTube

The White House teamed up with the Smithsonian to make an exact 3D replica of President Barack Obama.

A video released by the White House on Tuesday showed Smithsonian staffers using scanners, cameras, and computer programs to obtain measurements that were used to make a 3D-printed bust of President Barack Obama. 

According to Gunter Waibel, the director of the Smithsonian Digitization Program Office, the project was "inspired" by "life masks" of President Abraham Lincoln's face that were made from plaster casts.

In order to make the 3D presidential portrait, Obama sat in front of a "mobile light stage" with 50 customized LED lights that replicated multiple different lighting conditions. While Obama sat there, he was photographed by multiple cameras. Smithsonian staffers also used handheld 3D scanners.


The portrait session yielded exact measurements of Obama that were used to make a presidential bust.

"This isn't an artistic likeness of the president this is actually millions upon millions of measurements that create a 3D likeness of the president," Adam Metallo, the Smithsonian's 3D Digitization Program Officer explained.

The Smithsonian can use 3D printers to make multiple copies of the presidential portrait.


And, of course, Obama got the chance to see one of the 3D printed busts face-to-identical-face.


Check out the full White House video below.