US entrepreneur Brent Underwood has partnered with Polycam and YouTube channel Corridor Crew to 3D scan an entire abandoned mining town using only a smartphone.
Back in the 1800s, Cerro Gordo was the largest provider of silver and lead in the US. Now its co-owner (and sole tenant), Underwood is working to preserve and digitize the town, so that future generations can visit and learn about its history virtually – anywhere in the world.
The site itself features up to 30 miles of mine shafts (which would’ve taken a little too long to capture). So the team started by scanning various pieces of equipment in high detail, right down to tiny stamps and initials, as well as buildings like the town’s general store.
Polycam’s photogrammetry and LiDAR features allowed the historic location to be recreated in full and Underwood found that he could virtually navigate the space right there in the app.
Later, with the aid of drone photography, he and the team were ultimately able to scan the valley around Cerro Gordo, then digitize individual buildings for a full exterior recreation.
The resulting mesh is pretty impressive. Though lacking in geometry data (so you can only see surface details), it still allows visitors to explore the site in groups of up to 50, as they please.
It just goes to show what you can achieve with smartphone 3D scanning and a can-do attitude!
Check out the full video report here:
