3D Portraits of Obama Go on Display at Smithsonian

The first presidential portraits created from 3D scans of a sitting president are going on display at the Smithsonian.

Digital imaging specialists at the Smithsonian created a 3D printed bust and life mask of President Barack Obama this year. The portraits were first shown at the White House during a gathering of inventors, entrepreneurs and students.

The 3D portraits went on display Tuesday at the Smithsonian Castle. They will be on view through December.

The president's face was scanned by experts from the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies. That data was combined with scans and camera images of his head and shoulders to create an accurate bust.

Obama's life mask joins three other presidential masks in the National Portrait Gallery's collection, depicting George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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