Technology diffusion company QMI Solutions teamed up with visualisation technology provider Concentric Asia Pacific to scan and reproduce the Ewaninga ancient rock carvings (petroglyphs) near Alice Springs for the NMA’s Extremes–Great Deserts of the Southern Hemisphere exhibition.

The harsh environments in which the petroglyphs were created are also slowly eroding them. With many pre-dating a written language, reproducing the petroglyphs is a positive step in the preservation and continual study of some of the oldest records of human heritage.

QMI Solutions Project Manager Geoff Wakeley said the technology used to recreate the petroglyphs is far removed from its traditional use. “When you bring as many new technologies as we have brought to industry, the innovative application of technology still never ceases to amaze,” Mr Wakeley says.

“The whole process involved using a laser scanner on the petroglyphs and uses that data to recreate the detail in aluminium using a CNC (Computer-Numeric Controlled) machine. CNC machining is traditionally used as a rapid manufacturing method to produce accurate and durable parts from metals, alloys, wood or even foam.”

“The laser scanning was done by Concentric Asia Pacific using the FaroArm, which is a lightweight, portable measuring arm that has an accuracy of 0.025 millimetres. Attached to the FaroArm is the Modelmaker, a non-contact, hand-held 3D laser that scans at an amazing 23,000 points per second to an accuracy of 0.05mm.”

“This type of technology is mostly used to create CAD (Computer Aided Design) data, where none previously existed, by scanning the object. This creates a CAD model that can be redesigned or modified immediately, rather than having to create the model from scratch.”

“The ModelMaker technology is perfect for scanning the Ewaninga petroglyphs as the technology is quick, non-intrusive and highly accurate.”

The Ewaninga petroglyphs are one of several across three continents to be used in the exhibition, profiling some of the greatest deserts in the Southern Hemisphere.

Extremes features the Namib and the Kalahari deserts in Southern Africa, the Atacama desert in Chile, the arid, high Puna in Argentina as well as deserts in Australia’s red centre.

NMA Senior Curator Dr Mike Smith says the exhibition will immerse visitors in an ancient environment. “Extremes examines the prehistory of global colonization and the spread of people across the southern half of the world and in some of the harshest environments ever occupied,” Dr Smith said.

“The replicas are an important part of the exhibition, enabling visitors to tangibly experience ancient heritage in the finest detail as well as the archaeology and environmental history of vastly distinctive cultures.”

“The exhibition is also a collaboration across three continents, including links with National Museums in Chile, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and the University of Cape Town,” he said.

The exhibition opened at the National Museum of Australia on 26 December 2004.