An avatar of the University of Huddersfield’s Vice-Chancellor has been created using 3D scanning by designers at the 3M BIC.

Vice-Chancellor Bob Cryan’s head and shoulders were scanned using a hand-held scanner to create digital files, which will be added to a computerised body to create a full-length avatar.

The Vice-Chancellor’s avatar will guide visitors through a digital model of the University of Huddersfield campus, allowing prospective students and those from overseas to virtually walk through the campus, showcasing the University and its facilities. A long-term plan will see Bob Cryan’s avatar speaking different languages, enhancing the experience for overseas visitors.

Using architects’ drawings and photos, each individual building on the campus has been turned into CAD files, enabling the 3M BIC design team to create the walk-through model of the campus. The buildings have also been 3D printed to create a display model of the whole campus.

Our in-house designers have already been using the technology for reverse engineering, including a valve for a local engineering company, created from a wooden model to create CAD files. The team has also been working closely with a University of Huddersfield PHD student to optimise 3D scanning and objective measurement of wounds to research the wound healing process.

Centre manager, Michael Wilson, said: “We have worked across many sectors providing 3D scanning services, including engineering, medical and retail. The digital model of the campus is just one example of how to exploit it.

“In medicine and healthcare scanning can be used to bring real patient data into simulations for surgeon training or procedural improvements, as is the case with wound management, creating practitioner-independent observations of the healing process. The 3M BIC has also successfully used scanning on heritage projects such as the conservation or recreation of historic artefacts and buildings.”