3D Scanning Ronald McDonald: Preserving a Piece of Hong Kong's Childhood

We bet many people in Hong Kong have a cherished photo with Ronald McDonald. That friendly, smiling figure sitting on a bench and waving to us is a core memory from our childhoods.

A little while ago, we dropped a hint about a secret mission on our Instagram Stories. Now, we can finally reveal the project we’ve been keeping under wraps for a while! We are incredibly honored to have been part of a major project for McDonald's Hong Kong's 50th-anniversary celebration: the recreation of the classic "Ronald McDonald Bench"!

This exciting project kicked off when we received an invitation to collaborate from Kian Contract Hong Kong. It was an amazing opportunity for us to apply our professional 3D scanning technology and play a part in a project that would reawaken the collective memories of everyone in Hong Kong.

The "Farewell and Rebirth" of Hong Kong's Last Ronald McDonald

In recent years, discussions about the disappearance of Ronald McDonald statues in Hong Kong have been widespread. As the city evolved and restaurant designs changed, our old friend became an increasingly rare sight. Before this project began, only one last Ronald McDonald statue remained in all of Hong Kong, located at the Tsuen Wan Shek Wai Kok branch, much to the disappointment of many residents.

Perhaps in response to everyone's wishes, McDonald's Hong Kong decided to launch a revival project to mark its momentous 50th anniversary. The company generously commissioned 50 brand-new Ronald McDonald benches to be placed in 50 locations across the city, making this happy memory accessible to all once again.

We had the privilege of being involved in the most crucial first step of this plan: heading to the McDonald's in Shek Wai Kok, Tsuen Wan, to perform a 3D scan of the very last "original" Ronald McDonald in Hong Kong.

A Meticulous Mission of Recreation

This wasn't just a job; it was a profound responsibility. The mission began in August 2024...

• Careful Disassembly and Reassembly: First, our team had to carefully detach the Ronald McDonald figure from the bench. Every movement had to be precise and gentle because he was the one and only original left. Any damage, no matter how small, could have brought the entire project to a halt. After the scan was complete, we just as carefully reinstalled him perfectly back in his original spot.

• Markers for Precision: To ensure the highest degree of accuracy, we meticulously placed dozens of marker points all over the statue. These small dots acted like a constellation of stars guiding our 3D scanner, assisting with data alignment and dramatically improving the model's accuracy and completeness. This ensured we didn't miss a single joyful line on his face.

• Capturing Joyful Details at a Micron Level: Our goal was a high-fidelity restoration. To achieve this, we deployed an industrial-grade 3D scanner with an accuracy of up to 0.05 mm. This level of precision meant that even the tiniest details and the most delicate textures on the statue could be fully captured and converted into an exact digital model.

The Perfect Transformation from Data to Art

Once the 3D scan of Ronald McDonald was complete, the real test of our technical skill and patience began with the post-processing work.

• Digital Restoration "Magic": Raw 3D scan data often contains environmental "noise." Our technicians, working like digital art restorers, had to carefully clean up and denoise the 3D model, ensuring that every curve and contour was smooth and natural.

• Breathing Life with Color: A Ronald McDonald without his colors is one without a soul. We strictly followed the statue's original colors, referencing Pantone color charts to professionally color the 3D model in our software. Our aim was to perfectly restore his most classic and beloved appearance.

Finally, we delivered the fully restored and colored 3D files in STEP and OBJ formats to the next team in the pipeline. This allowed them to use our digital blueprint to smoothly move into production, bringing 50 "reborn" Ronald McDonald statues to the public.

Our Hope: Using Technology to Preserve More of Hong Kong's Legacy

This project was a powerful reminder that 3D scanning and 3D printing are more than just cold technologies; they can be warm mediums for preserving culture and passing on memories.

Besides Ronald McDonald, it brings to mind other classic McDonald's characters who have also vanished from Hong Kong: the cheerful Birdie the Early Bird, the adorable Grimace, and the lovably mischievous Hamburglar. Their images are also a treasured part of Hong Kong's collective memory.

We sincerely hope that in the future, we will have more opportunities to use our professional 3D printing technology and innovative solutions to recreate more of Hong Kong's disappearing treasures. We want to ensure that the wonderful memories that belong to each of us can transcend time and continue to be passed down for generations to come.