incredible 3D laser scans reveal the structure of brazil's christ the redeemer statue

have you ever wondered how rio de janeiro’s ‘christ the redeemer’ statue was built? known as one of the seven wonders of the modern world, the emblematic landmark stands 98 feet tall and spans a mammoth 92 feet wide. well now, thanks to these laser scans generated by geospatial mapping specialists geoSLAM, we can see the incredible structure like never before. 

laser scan data that can be manipulated online

images and video courtesy of geoSLAM

geoSLAM was asked to create a digital twin of the statue before its 90th birthday restoration work began. the summit of mount corcovado, where christ the redeemer stands, was closed to the public while the entire site was scanned – inside and out. you might expect such detailed image capture to take an age but in fact, it was scanned within 45 minutes using the latest SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) and UAV technology. over 180 million data points were captured, producing a comprehensive digital model of the giant monument in all its glory.

external laser scan of christ the redeemer

gabriel de barros praxedes, geoSLAM’s latin america channel manager, navigated the narrow staircases and tight passages of christ the redeemer’s structure using a portable handheld 3D scanner to capture the internal images. the same handheld laser scanner was subsequently mounted to a drone to capture the detailed exterior of the monument. gabriel quickly processed the data so he could see the results of the scan before leaving the site, making sure he’d accurately captured every detail. a complete 3D model of the data can be seen and manipulated online.

internal laser scan of the statue

commenting on the project, gabriel said: ‘given the level of detail on this monument – from the face, hands, and robe, to the staircases inside and carved marble base beneath it, i’m in awe of the capabilities of this technology and the clarity of data produced. we’ve been able to capture the statue in a totally new light, that almost no one has had the privilege to see. this is one of the most recognizable statues on the planet, and a symbol of hope for many brazilians near and far, and i’m delighted to have been able to capture it in its current form before the restoration works get underway. it’s hard to believe this statue is almost 90 years old; the scan really highlights the level of detail.’

internal laser scan and original view

external laser scan and original view

christ the redeemer as seen from above by drone

christ the redeemer being scanned by laser scanner mounted to drone

project info:

project name: geoSLAM christ the redeemer laser scan

geospatial mapping company: geoSLAM

geospatial mapping team leader: gabriel de barros praxedes

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom