Virtual 3D reconstruction of historical vehicles: Columbia electric car and Kulibin’s pedal carriage

Abstract

Historical vehicles are a part of technical heritage. Some of them are still exist as museum exhibits, while others are lost and we can investigate them only by drawings and descriptions. Virtual 3D reconstruction of such vehicles provides an opportunity to restore their historical appearance, visualize and check hypothesis about their construction and interaction of mechanical elements, and prepare for physical reconstruction. In the article, we analyze two projects of virtual 3D reconstruction of historical vehicles, their methods and results: Columbia electric car of 1901 year that exhibits in the Moscow Polytechnic Museum, and the lost Kulibin’s pedal carriage of the late 18th century.