The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was a fifth-century BC Greek statue that was so massive that is known as one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.”
Now, through the use of 3D printing and a slew of other disciplines, the 2,500 year old statue will rise again to as part of a new exhibit at Atlanta’s Millenium Gate Museum.
The original 40-foot-tall statue took more than a decade to create. This version is almost six-feet-tall and took Stratasys about three days to 3D print - two days for the torso, and 20 hours for the legs, according to a report from the BBC.
Zeus came off the printer in that classic ABS off-white, but it was painted and finished to add texture and details.
Designers worked with a team at Kennesaw State University in Georgia to build a rendering based off an image of the original work, and then translate it into CAD. The team then 3D printed the statue on a Fortus 900mc Production 3D Printer using production-grade thermoplastics since the display will be outside and subjected to the elements.
The exhibit starring the ruler of the gods is titled “The Games: Ancient Olympia to Atlanta to Rio,” opens August 20, 2016 and runs until January 2, 2017.
This is IEN Now with David Mantey.
