Real//virtual//real, or, aibohphobia (The Phobia of Palindromes)

This paper describes the findings of an ongoing research project between the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS), Philip White - the Dominion Sculptor of Canada - and Heritage Conservation Services (HCS) that integrates the tools and skills of a human sculptor with the tooling of a generic seven axis manufacturing robot. The purpose of the project is to develop a digitally milled composition based on a unique series of hand-sculpted pieces for the new doors of the chambers of the Canadian Senate while the original buildings are undergoing rehabilitation. Each of the original sculptures are digitized using photogrammetry, arranged and digitally remodeled with some enhancement, and milled as a larger composition using the robot. This workflow provided a generic direction for the project, but the process revealed unexpected challenges and opportunities.