Here’s a bust of President Barack Obama created by a Smithsonian team from 3-D scan data.

Obama is the first sitting president to be scanned for this purpose. The bust was displayed yesterday at the White House Maker Faire, and the data and models will become part of the National Portrait Gallery’s collection. Here’s how it was done:

Experts from the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies used their “Light Stage” face scanner to document the President’s face from ear to ear in high resolution. Next, a Smithsonian team used handheld 3-D scanners and traditional SLR cameras to record peripheral 3-D data to create an accurate bust.

The data captured was post-processed by 3-D graphics experts at the software company Autodesk to create final high-resolution models. The life mask and bust were then printed using 3D Systems’ Selective Laser Sintering printers.

Smithsonian Institution.