Ambitions to preserve the "ship of dreams" in 3D

2:21 PM

By Beatrice Jeschek

The Titanic is attacked by a destructive combination of natural forces and human intrusion. Can a US company now preserve the world’s most famous wreck? At least they try – digitally.

What really made the Titanic sink? Was it greed? Human mistakes?

Scientists worldwide agree that it was not the iceberg alone on April 14th, 1912, that made the “ship of dreams” sink deep down to the ocean’s grounds, some 450 miles southeast of the Newfoundland coastline.
Here, the wreck lies until today. It faces bacteria eating away the iron, the pressure of 6000 pound per square inch, as well as underwater souvenir hunters.
The position of the Titanic wreck
The Titanic, which was found in September 25 years ago, is in danger of complete corrosion. Just the moment when it will take place is uncertain. Maybe it will take 25 years, maybe less.

The American company RMS Titanic, not by coincidence also awarded owner of the wreckage in 1994, is unwilling to take chances. In partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) they started an expedition to save the remains of the massive steamer – virtually.

The team around expedition leader David Gallo already sent amazing high definition images to those waiting above surface.
It takes the world’s leading archaeologists, oceanographers and scientists, the best technology (sonar and 3DHD film and acoustic modeling) and multiple million dollars (how many exactly, RMST keep to themselves).
A 3D snapshot
Their precise measurement will also give answers to when exactly the Titanic will merge completely into the sea ground – and leaves it to the future generation what to do with the remains. Up to this point, RMST removed about 4650 artifacts for exhibition purposes. This time, they touch mostly virtually.
“Once you build this virtual titanic, you'll have the bow and the stern and everything in between the surrounding terrain for everyone to explore”, Gallo says in an interview with Techland (the technology experts of Time Magazine).
 “Instead of being a passive participant, you can go look at everything yourself.” Gallo describes the virtual google-streetview-alike tour as “the real deal” praising modern technology that makes it all happening.

Visitors of this virtual tour will be able to bring their own fantasies to life without any need to look James Cameron, the director of the most successful movie interpretation of the Titanic tragedy, over his shoulder.

No doubt: This is revolutionary underwater archeology at its finest that will also influence the way other shipwrecks are investigated. Every year around 14 ships the size of the Titanic sink to the ground. Lost to the deep, no one ever hears about them again. This is about to change.

This article was first published 17/09/2010 on maltastar.com.

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