Australia’s first submarine, HMAS AE1, disappeared off the coast of Papua New Guinea in September 1914. It remained lost for 103 years.
This 3D-printed model was created to understand the wreck site in detail. Researchers wanted to find out what caused it to sink and record its current condition, so they could monitor future changes. It was made using a process called 3D photogrammetry, which uses software to combine thousands of high-resolution photographs into a single digital model.
AE1 lies more than 300 m underwater. It’s too deep for most divers, so the photos were taken using special cameras mounted on an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle). The model gives an overview of the entire wreck, rather than the small sections shown in videos and photos. It reveals how the front section of the sub imploded, killing the crew instantly.
Wrecks may break down or be damaged. Models of wrecks preserve moments of tragedy for us to study and learn from.
It took two months of processing to create the digital model from over 8,000 images. It was made by Curtin University HIVE (Andrew Woods, Daniel Adams, Joshua Hollick), from images courtesy of Paul G. Allen, Find AE1, the Australian National Maritime Museum and Curtin University. © Curtin University.
AE1’s conning tower collapsed into the remnants of its control room. Photo from Paul G. Allen, Find AE1 Ltd., ANMM and Curtin University. Copyright, Navigea Ltd.