First full-sized scan of the Titanic revealed, provided a complete 3D reconstruction of ship
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The infamous shipwreck of Titanic now, for the first time, has a complete 3D reconstruction model. It was created with a full-sized digital scan.
For decades, historians and maritime archaeologists have been investigating the wreck. Since it is lying 12,500 ft deep in the Atlantic, they have only been able to study a few photographs.
Now, the 3D model provides a complete view via 700,000 images. The model was created by Magellan Ltd, a deep-sea mapping company. They spent over 200 hours surveying the wreck and took images from every angle to create the model.
The 3D render shows the ship as if it is on dry land. People can see details like the radio room and the serial number on the propeller. The bow is now covered in rust but still instantly recognisable. A hole provides a view into a void where the grand iconic staircase was. The stern of the ship is a mess because this part collapsed when it corkscrewed into the seafloor. Photographs have also picked up ornate metalwork, statues, unopened champagne bottles, and personal possessions like shoes.
Parks Stephenson, a Titanic analyst, thinks the unique model will pioneer evidence-based research into what happened when the ship sank. "There are still questions, basic questions, that need to be answered about the ship….(it is) one of the first major steps to driving the Titanic story towards evidence-based research – and not speculation," reported BBC.
He added that the scans are showing the true state of the wreck. "It allows you to see the wreck as you can never see it from a submersible (the expedition ship), and you can see the wreck in its entirety, you can see it in context and perspective. And what it’s showing you now is the true state of the wreck."
The researcher thinks the new scan will offer insights into the character of the collision with the iceberg. "We don’t even know if she hit it along the starboard side, as is shown in all the movies – she might have grounded on the iceberg."
The wreckage of the Titanic was found in 1938 and the ship sunk in 1912.
