LiDAR scanning is helping to save Ms Blue

An elite Hollywood VFX studio has helped preserve a cultural landmark by conducting LiDAR scans of over 300 bones

Ms Blue at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center in Santa Cruz has delighted visitors for nearly 25 years. However, when the largest outdoor blue whale skeleton in the USA began to deteriorate, Halon Entertainment proposed a unique solution to save it using LiDAR.

“Ms Blue has become a cultural landmark, and when it looked like she was going to disappear, there was a very real sense of loss from the community,” said Jonathan Hicken, executive director of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, “We spoke to dozens of preservation and fossil specialists, but most suggested a plastic-like covering, which sent the wrong message regarding conservation. When Halon Entertainment suggested a way to preserve her that included a full digital recreation and an educational component, it was an easy choice.”

After washing up on the shore at Pescadero Beach, Ms Blue’s bones were carefully preserved and mounted to a steel structure for display. Nevertheless, age and the harsh oceanfront elements began to take a toll.

Halon Entertainment, a VFX studio known for high-profile projects like Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning and The Mandalorian, began by capturing 53 detailed LiDAR scans of the grand skeleton. The team deployed the portable Leica RTC360 to create a photorealistic digital facsimile of Ms Blue.

Working from the 3D model, Halon used ZBrush, Substance Painter and Maya to technologically rebuild and reconfigure the whale before uploading the model to Unity. Once this information was in the game engine, Halon created a series of animations based on the natural movements of a whale. From here, the team built an app to educate visitors.

Alongside this virtual component, Swellcycle was employed to create accurate replicas of Ms Blue’s bones using a 3D printer. Damaged bones were replicated using recycled materials and bio-based putty made from shrimp shells. A few additional bones were archived for future research, with the potential to help trace Ms Blue’s origins.

The AR replica of Ms Blue and the four educational lessons created will soon be available to visitors at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Ms Blue is also looking for additional donors in order to debut in the coming months.

Seymour Marine Discovery Center is not the only educational venue using the latest technology to engage visitors. Take a look at how Niagara Parks Power Station is elevating experiences with 1 Sound.

Find out more at Halon Entertainment at halon.com