Scientific 3D Printing

A Work in Progress Report

GFZ Geoinformatics Kolloquium

April 3 2013

Peter Löwe, Jens Klump (CeGIT), Jens Wickert (Section 1.1)

Communicating scientific findings

• Challenge: Vizualizing scientific data before one’s inner eye.

• Immersive data-visualizations do not provide tactile feedback.

• Tangible representation of geospatial information is crucial.

Communicating scientific findings

• Challenge: Vizualizing scientific data before one’s inner eye.

• Immersive data-visualizations do not provide tactile feedback.

• Tangible representation of geospatial information is crucial.

1492

Communicating scientific findings

• Challenge: Vizualizing scientific data before one’s inner eye.

• Immersive data-visualizations do not provide tactile feedback.

• Tangible representation of geospatial information is crucial.

1492 Today

„The Future is here“ (again)

The potentials of „3D printing“ as featured in the News

„The Future is here“ (again)

The potentials of „3D printing“ as featured in the News:

– Guns !

„The Future is here“ (again)

The potentials of „3D printing“ as featured in the News:

– Guns !

– Human body parts !

„The Future is here“ (again)

The potentials of „3D printing“ as featured in the News:

– Guns !

– Human body parts !

– Clothes !

„The Future is here“ (again)

The potentials of „3D printing“ as featured in the News:

– Guns !

– Human body parts !

– Clothes !

– Candy !

„The Future is here“ (again)

The potentials of „3D printing“ as featured in the News:

– Guns !

– Human body parts !

– Clothes !

– Candy !

– Space Exploration !

Reality Check

1983:

ZX81

Homecomputer

(1Kb RAM !)

Reality Check – 3D Printing

• Since 1987: Growing use in the manufacturing industry

• Mid 2000s: Low cost printers reach the mainstream

1983:

ZX81

Homecomputer

(1Kb RAM !)

2013:

MakerBot

3D Printer

(1 Color !)

Reality Check – 3D Printing

• Since 1987: Growing use in the manufacturing industry

• Mid 2000s: Low cost printers reach the mainstream

1983:

ZX81

Homecomputer

(1Kb RAM !)

2013:

MakerBot

3D Printer

(1 Color !)

GeoInformatics

To plot a hype

• The introduction of new technologies can be described by a graph.

http://scalablestartup.files.wordpress.com/2012/1

2/gartner-hype-cycle.png?w=470

Status 3D printing – according to Google

3D Printing

2013

http://surveys.peerproduction.net/wp-

content/uploads/2012/11/GoogleTrendsGartnerHypeCycle.png

Web 2.0

Web 2.0: 3D Print Shops & Repositories

Web 2.0: 3D Print Shops & Repositories

Software services to provide „hard data“

What is… 3D Printing

What is… 3D Printing (additive manufacturing)

A process of

• making a three-dimensional solid object of

• virtually any shape from a

• digital model

[Wikipedia]

What is… 3D Printing (additive manufacturing)

A process of

• making a three-dimensional solid object of

• virtually any shape from a

• digital model

using an

• additive process, where

• successive layers of material are laid down

• in different shapes.

[Wikipedia]

Technologies for 3D Printing

• Extrusion deposition

Technologies for 3D Printing

• Extrusion deposition

• Granular materials binding – selective laser sintering,

– inkjet 2D printing

Technologies for 3D Printing

• Extrusion deposition

• Granular materials binding – selective laser sintering,

– inkjet 2D printing

• Lamination (e.g: Paper stack)

Technologies for 3D Printing

• Extrusion deposition

• Granular materials binding – selective laser sintering,

– inkjet 2D printing

• Lamination (e.g: Paper stack)

• Photopolymerization – Stereolithography – patented in 1987)

Scientific 3D Printing: Current Status

• An observation, by a sensor, results in a geo-referenced data set.

Scientific 3D Printing: Current Status

Data

Set

• An observation, by a sensor, results in a geo-referenced data set.

Scientific 3D Printing: Current Status

Processing

(CeGIT) Data

Set 3D

„PDF“

• An observation, by a sensor, results in a geo-referenced data set.

• a thematic volume representation is derived from the data

• which is converted into command sequences for the printing device (“3D PDF”),

Scientific 3D Printing: Current Status

Processing

(CeGIT)

Printing

(Section 1.1) Data

Set 3D

„PDF“

Printout

• An observation, by a sensor, results in a geo-referenced data set.

• a thematic volume representation is derived from the data

• which is converted into command sequences for the printing device (“3D PDF”),

• leading to the creation of a 3d-printout.

Scientific 3D Printing: Current Status

Processing

(CeGIT)

Printing

(Section 1.1) Data

Set 3D

„PDF“

Printout

• An observation, by a sensor, results in a geo-referenced data set.

• a thematic volume representation is derived from the data

• which is converted into command sequences for the printing device (“3D PDF”),

• leading to the creation of a 3D printout.

• The printout needs to be linked to its metadata to ensure its scientific meaning and context.

Scientific 3D Printing: Next Steps

Processing

(CeGIT)

Printing

(Section 1.1) Data

Set 3D

„PDF“

Printout

Metadata assignment

• The new print needs

to be linked to its

metadata to ensure

its scientific meaning

and context.

Scientific 3D Printing: Use Cases

Data

Provider

Scientific 3D Printing: Use Cases

Processing

(CeGIT)

Printing

(Section 1.1) Data

Set 3D

„PDF“

Printout

Data

Provider

Scientific 3D Printing: Use Cases

Processing

(CeGIT)

Printing

(Section 1.1) Data

Set 3D

„PDF“

Printout

Science

Communication

Data

Provider

Scientific 3D Printing: Application Fields

• Handpieces for science communication – among scientists

– towards the general public

• Showpieces for exhibitions / trade fairs

• Condensed information on content and quality

• <your application goes here>

Scientific 3D Printing at GFZ

• Spring 2012: Section 1.1. acquires a 3D printer to produce casings for environmental sensors.

• Summer 2012: CeGIT investigates 3D representations for quality assessments of tsunami simulation data sets in the FP7 TRIDEC project

• Fall 2012: CeGIT develops a pilot workflow to convert scientific data volume into stereolithography datasets for 3D printing.

• November 2012:

– First 3D-printed Tsunami specimens showcased @ GFZ GISDAY

– Collaboration with INAF, Italy on planetary data

• December 2012: Presentation of results at AGU by INAF.

GFZ Printer Hardware RapMan 3.2 3D Printer

GFZ Printer Hardware RapMan 3.2 3D Printer

GFZ Printer Hardware RapMan 3.2 3D Printer

RapMan 3.2: Reality Check

RapMan 3.2: Reality Check

Marcel

Ludwig

(Section 1.1)

Resident 3D

printing expert

RapMan 3.2: Reality Check

Marcel

Ludwig

(Section 1.1)

Resident 3D

printing expert

RapMan 3.2: Reality Check

Raw

Material

Control

Unit

Print head,

cooling fan

Print in

progress

Marcel

Ludwig

(Section 1.1)

Resident 3D

printing expert

Close-Up: Actual Printing

Print

head

Internal

Support

Structure

External

Support

Structure

Ongoing 3D

Print

Application Examples

Example: 2.5D Surface (Geography)

• Theme: Land Surface

• Input: Digital elevation model (xyz data)

• Output: Simplified 2.5D elevation surface.

Top

Side

Example: 2.5D Surface (Geology)

• Theme: Upper limit of Zechstein deposits

• Input: Surface model (xyz)

• Output: 2.5D Surface

Top

Side

Example: 3D Body (Pedology/Glaciology)

Under

Side

Top

Side • Theme: North Polar Ice-

cap of Mars

• Input: Volume data compiled from cross-sections (ground penetrating Radar)

• Output: 3D volume model

3D Volume: Mars North Polar Cap

• Research topics:

– Buried valleys beneath the polar cap,

– radar signal attenuation.

• Need: „Handpiece“ for communication among scientists and data quality assessment.

• 3D Print is currently used by INAF for data quality assessment.

Example: Stack of 3D Bodies (Geology)

• Theme: Underground model north-eastern Germany.

• Input: Multiple geological surfaces (xyz * n)

• Output: Stack of multicolored geological volumes. Multiple

3D

Bodies

Image: GFZ Section 4.4

Example:3D Volume Stack (Geology)

Example: Higher dimensional data

Space Time Cubes (STC)

Example: Minard`s Map (1869)

• a chart depicting the

• losses of the napoleoan army

• during the russian campaign 1812/13

Time

Application Field: Transient spatiotemporal phenomena

Data: A.Babeyko 2012, Visualisation: CeGIT

Handpiece: Tsunami Wave Space Time Cube

Time used

as 3rd

dimension

Time used

as 3rd

dimension

Tohoku 2011

Tsunami. Data:

A.Babeyko 2012

The Road Ahead

Processing

(CeGIT)

Printing

(Section 1.1) Data

Set 3D

„PDF“

Printout

Metadata assignment

The Road Ahead

Processing

(CeGIT)

Printing

(Section 1.1) Data

Set 3D

„PDF“

Printout

Metadata assignment

The Road Ahead

Processing

(CeGIT)

Printing

(Section 1.1) Data

Set 3D

„PDF“

Printout

Metadata assignment

The Road Ahead

Processing

(CeGIT)

Printing

(Section 1.1) Data

Set 3D

„PDF“

Printout

Metadata assignment

Open Issues

• Emerging standards

• Scientific software services

• Intellectual property rights and copyrights

• Archiving of scientific 3D prints

Scientific 3D Printing at EGU 2013

• Poster presentation on 3D printing: ESSI Session 2.7

• EGU2013-1544 “Tangible 3D printouts of scientific data volumes with FOSS - an emerging field for research”

• Meet us on Thursday, April 11 in the RED Section 15:30-17:00 hours.

Let‘s discuss

• Application scenarios ?

• Requirements ?

• Opportunities ?

THANK YOU