 In May of 2010, the National Park Service collaborated with SIRC and the Center for Digital Documentation and Visualization based in Scotland to laser scan the entire Mount Rushmore sculpture in order to create the most accurate model to date. The documentation team also consisted of local engineering experts from Respec and WIS Associates who were already familiar with intricacies of the mountain. The documentation team spent two weeks laser scanning and photographically documenting the site so that no part of the sculpture would be missed. The scanning of the faces of the presidents in particular presented a unique challenge. Because of the protruding features of the president's faces, the team would have to scan around them from many different angles while making sure that the scanner was set up at an optimum distance from the rock surface. In order to get all around Jefferson's nose to get all the details of Roosevelt's mustache, the only solution was to repel the scanner down the face of the sculpture. To ensure the stability of the scanner, a special tripod rig was designed by the team, engineered by Hermanson Egg Engineering and manufactured locally in Rapid City, South Dakota. It was a difficult and dangerous task, but the Mount Rushmore rope access team skillfully climbed down the face of the sculpture with the laser scanner and special tripod rig in order to capture the necessary scans. By the end of those two weeks, over 200 laser scans were performed, collecting about 3.5 billion data points that would make up the complete point cloud model of the sculpture and park grounds. Along with the laser scan data, the team also collected detailed photographic documentation, which was overlaid on the bare point cloud and created a finished lifelike model of the mountain. Once complete, the Cyric team began to work with the park in order to utilize the 3D model for their preservation and educational needs. With this complete digital model, the Mount Rushmore park staff now has a very precise way to map the contours of the mountain and all the cracks in the stone that they must monitor on the faces of the presidents. Beyond aiding with preservation, the data is also providing a new way for the National Park Service to educate the public about the Mount Rushmore National Memorial through virtual tours, photographs, drawings, and other educational content.