Every missing person deserves to have their story told. That’s exactly what’s happening at the New York Academy of Art, where Joe Mullins and a class of talented sculptors are reconstructing the faces of unidentified remains in hopes that this might aid in solving the mystery.
Mullins and his class partners with police departments to work on missing persons cases that have gone long cold. Taking 3D-printed replicas of the real skulls, the sculptors reconstruct what these people looked like so that their faces can be shown to the public for potential clues as to who they were.
Once the artists finish their sculptures, the faces are scanned using a Quantum FaroArm®. The digital data is then rendered into 3D models, allowing more people across the world to access these reconstructions. When reconstructions are more sharable, it increases the chance someone will be able to provide a clue that unlocks the case. Plus, the 3D scans can be archived, shared and revisited in a virtual environment — or 3D printed to avoid damaging the physical evidence.
Classes like this one at the New York Academy of Art and the FARO-certified forensic science lab at George Mason University — where Joe Mullins also teaches a class — highlight FARO’s commitment to advancing hands-on student training, research and development.
Watch this video case study to learn more about a fascinating intersection between art, forensic science and 3D laser scanning technology.