Sutherland's Volkswagen
3D test model
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sutherland's Volkswagen, or the Utah VW Bug, is a 3D model. It is a mathematical model of a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle and one of the earliest 3D computer models, aside from Catmull's hand.
The Volkswagen model was created by students[1] of Professor Ivan Sutherland in 1972[2] at the University of Utah. The students created the model by measuring a real version of the car with yardsticks. Only the car body is modeled, not the wheels or chassis. The model became slightly iconic after all the various parts, as measured by students, were pieced together, with the necessary rotations, scaling, and translations.[2]