How Scanlab is Digitally Reviving Tasmania’s Fragile Seashell Heritage

Introduction: A Shoreline Story Waiting to be Told

Along the wild and windswept coastlines of Tasmania, waves crash into cliffs, tides shift across sandy coves, and the sea delivers its treasures to shore. Among these treasures are seashells—small, fragile, and seemingly ordinary to the casual beachcomber. Yet, for Tasmania’s Indigenous people, the Pakana, these shells carry deep cultural meaning. They are not simply remnants of marine life; they are part of a living tradition, one that connects communities to the land, the sea, and to their ancestors.

But like so many fragile natural objects, seashells are easily lost. Time, weather, and handling can break them down, and once gone, they cannot be replaced. As elders pass on and physical artefacts deteriorate, preserving this heritage becomes an urgent challenge.

Enter Scanlab, a new department that has grown from the expertise of Thinglab, one of Australia’s leading providers of 3D scanning and digital manufacturing solutions. With Ben Myers at the forefront, Scanlab has set out to use cutting-edge 3D scanning technology to ensure that delicate cultural items—like Tasmanian seashells—are recorded, studied, and shared in ways that protect both their physical form and cultural significance.

This is the story of how Scanlab brought the world’s tiniest details of seashells to life using advanced Artec 3D scanning—and why these digital shells represent more than just technology. They represent resilience, connection, and a bridge between ancient traditions and modern innovation.

The Seashell and the Pakana: Layers of Meaning

For the Pakana people of Tasmania, seashells have always been more than decorative objects. They are woven into the rhythms of daily life and storytelling, crafted into necklaces, ornaments, and ceremonial pieces that carry spiritual weight.

Each shell carries a history:

• Symbolic meaning – representing the connection between sea and land.
• Functional use – as adornments that signify status, belonging, or community identity.
• Cultural continuity – serving as vessels of knowledge passed down through generations.

Yet, shells are also among the most fragile artefacts. Unlike stone tools or ceramics, which can survive for thousands of years, shells crumble easily. Exposure to air, light, and human touch accelerates their decline.

By the time many seashell artefacts reach museum collections, they are already at risk of fading into dust. For the Pakana, this is not just a material loss—it’s the erosion of cultural memory.

A Race Against Time

The project to digitally capture Tasmanian seashells began with a simple but powerful motivation: to preserve what might otherwise disappear. Museums and universities across Australia hold collections of seashells and related artefacts, but displaying them often requires placing them behind glass, limiting access. Handling is discouraged, for good reason, but this also distances communities from their heritage.

As elders expressed concerns about the ability of younger generations to connect with cultural objects, the need for a digital solution grew clearer. Could technology make shells more accessible while protecting them from damage? Could they live in classrooms, research labs, and community centres as digital twins—perfect replicas that can be studied, shared, and even 3D printed?

These questions aligned perfectly with Scanlab’s vision: to use 3D scanning not just for industry, but for cultural preservation.

Scanlab: From Thinglab to Heritage Innovator

To understand how Scanlab came to lead this project, we need to look back at its origins. Thinglab has long been a trusted partner for Australian professionals in engineering, medicine, design, and manufacturing. It brought together experts in 3D scanning, 3D printing, and digital workflows, giving industries the tools to design, test, and manufacture with precision.

But heritage projects demand a different sensitivity. They aren’t about mass production or rapid prototyping. They’re about patience, detail, and respect for the story behind each object.

Recognising this need, Thinglab established Scanlab, a dedicated department focused on 3D scanning applications for heritage, museums, and cultural research. Here, the emphasis is not only on technical excellence but also on ethical practice—working collaboratively with communities and ensuring cultural items are treated with dignity.

At the centre of Scanlab’s efforts is Ben Myers, whose role bridges technical skill and cultural responsibility. Ben understands that scanning an artefact isn’t just about capturing geometry; it’s about preserving identity. He and the Scanlab team approach projects like the Tasmanian seashells with an awareness that technology serves as a tool, but the true focus is the people and traditions it protects.

The Perfect Tool for Fragile Treasures: Artec Micro

If seashells are delicate in real life, they are even more challenging in the digital realm. Their ridges, pores, and iridescent surfaces make them notoriously difficult to capture. Standard photography often fails to reproduce fine textures, while traditional measuring techniques risk damaging the objects.

This is why Scanlab turned to the Artec Micro, one of the most advanced desktop 3D scanners available. Designed for small objects, the Micro offers:

• Unmatched accuracy down to 10 microns (0.01 mm).
• Automated scanning using a dual-axis system that rotates and tilts the object to capture every angle.
• Non-contact digitisation, ensuring shells remain unharmed.

For fragile seashells, this combination is a game-changer. The Micro captures even the tiniest grooves, swirls, and colour gradients, producing digital replicas that look indistinguishable from the originals.

With each shell scanned, the Scanlab team built a growing digital archive—a collection that could one day outlast the physical shells themselves.

Why This Matters Beyond the Museum

Some might ask: why go to such lengths for seashells? The answer lies in their symbolic role. By preserving shells, Scanlab isn’t just recording objects; they’re safeguarding a cultural language.

Digital seashells can now:

• Be studied by researchers around the world without risk of damage.
• Be included in virtual exhibitions, reaching audiences who may never travel to Tasmania.
• Be used by Pakana communities to teach cultural practices to younger generations.
• Be 3D printed for hands-on learning, where students can feel the textures without endangering fragile originals.

In this way, each scanned shell becomes a bridge—between past and future, between museum shelves and living communities, between Tasmania and the global stage.