1) 3D printing allows scientists to tangibly represent scientific data and findings to communicate their work to others. 2) The GFZ is exploring using open source GIS software and their RapMan 3D printer to produce 3D printed models from scientific data volumes for science communication and exhibitions. 3) They have had success printing elevation models, geological structures, and animations of tsunami propagation to help visualize and examine scientific data and findings.

1. Scientific 3D Printing
A Work in Progress Report
Albert Einstein Science Park
GIS Day
November 20 2013
Peter Löwe (Visiting Scientist)
Jens Klump, Jens Wickert, Marcel Ludwig (GFZ)

2. Communicating scientific findings
The challenge:
– Visualizing scientific data in one’s mind
– Communicating this vision to someone else
The need:
Tangible representation of scientific results.
1492
Today

3. 3D Printing for
Science Communication:
Overview
Target group
Science
Communication
Scientist
Scientific
Data
Technical Printing Process
Metadata Management
3D
Print

4. 3D Printing for
Science Communication
Focus of this talk
Target group
Science
Communication
Scientist
Scientific
Data
Technical Printing Process
Metadata Management
3D
Print

5. 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>

6. „The Future is here“
(again)
The potential of „3D printing“ as
featured in the News

7. „The Future is here“
(again)
The potential of „3D printing“ as
featured in the News:
– Guns !

8. „The Future is here“
(again)
The potential of „3D printing“ as
featured in the News:
– Guns !
– Human body parts !

9. „The Future is here“
(again)
The potential of „3D printing“ as
featured in the News:
– Guns !
– Human body parts !
– Clothes !

10. „The Future is here“
(again)
The potential of „3D printing“ as
featured in the News:
–
–
–
–
Guns !
Human body parts !
Clothes !
Candy !

11. „The Future is here“
(again)
The potential of „3D printing“ as
featured in the News:
–
–
–
–
–
Guns !
Human body parts !
Clothes !
Candy !
Space Exploration !

12. Reality Check
1983:
ZX81
Homecomputer
(1Kb RAM !)

13. 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!)

14. To plot a hype
• The introduction of new
technologies can be
described by a graph.
3D Printing
2013
http://surveys.peerproduction.net/wpcontent/uploads/2012/11/GoogleTrendsGartnerHypeCycle.png

15. Overview:
Tasks and Stakeholders
Software
Input
Data
Software
Workspace
Printing
Process
Scientific
Data
Technical Printing Process
Preservation
QC
Printing
Hardware
3D
Print

16. Tasks and Stakeholders
Involved Parties at GFZ
CeGIT,
Data Research
Group
Software
CeGIT,
CGS,
Section 5.4
HPC
Cluster
Software
Workspace
Scientific
Data
Technical Printing Process
Data
Research
Group
Preservation
QC
Section 1.1,
Workshop
Input
Data
Printing
Process
Printing
Hardware
3D
Print

17. Process Overview:
From model to printout
Scientific
Data
Technical Printing Process
Visualization
Geolog.
Models
GIS
Geodata
Pre-Press
3D Printing
GIS as the
center piece
of the process
3D
Print

18. Scientific
Data
Processing:
Software Tools and Formats
Technical Printing Process
Paraview
Petrel
GRASS 7
Geodata
StereoLithography
Data
RapMan
Printer
3D
Print

19. Current implementation @ GFZ
• Free and Open Source (FOSS) GIS Software GRASS GIS 7.0
– Full support for 3D volume data (volumes)
– Temporal Algebra for 2D and 3D
– FOSS Software can be accessed and extended on all levels. Quickly.
• Available on the GFZ High Performance Cluster (HPC)
– Large file space, large memory,
– Significant parallel processing power
– Scales well
• Why not ESRI ArcGIS ?
– Doesn‘t run on the Cluster
– Closed source: No quick in-depth tweaking, lacking developer feedback

20. Task and Status Overview
Services
FabLab
„Wissenschaftsladen“
Potsdam
GIS modularization
INAF
Astrophysics Institute,
Rome
Partnering
Materials
Hardware
Software
GIS workflow
development
Initial GIS-driven
experiments
Printing
Process
Expertise
2D
Data
(Elevation
Models)
3D Data
(Geological
Models,
Soil
Penetrating
Radar)
Tsunami
Simualations
Data Sources

21. Workflow: Recent advances
• Petrel data import (volumes and faults)
• Improved handling of geologic faults
• Improved export to prepress formats
• Workflow modularization and simplification

22. GFZ Printer Hardware
RapMan 3.2 3D Printer

23. GFZ Printer Hardware
RapMan 3.2 3D Printer
Mult
i-colo
r
PLA ed ABS
a
mate
rials nd

24. RapMan 3.2: Reality Check

25. RapMan 3.2: Reality Check
Marcel
Ludwig
(Section 1.1)
Resident 3D
printing expert

26. RapMan 3.2: Reality Check
Marcel
Ludwig
(Section 1.1)
Resident 3D
printing expert

27. RapMan 3.2: Reality Check
Print head,
cooling fan
Print in
progress
Raw
Material
Control
Unit
Marcel
Ludwig
(Section 1.1)
Resident 3D
printing expert

28. Close-Up: Actual Printing
Print
head
Internal
Support
Structure
Ongoing 3D
Print
External
Support
Structure

29. Application Examples

30. Elevation Models

31. More Elevation Models
Mekong River Catchment

32. More Elevation Models
Mekong River Catchment
Olympus Mons, Mars

33. More Elevation Models
Mekong River Catchment
Olympus Mons, Mars
Brukkaros Mountain, Namibia

34. More Elevation Models
Mekong River Catchment
Olympus Mons, Mars
Brukkaros Mountain, Namibia
It glows in the dark !

35. Globes

36. Single 3D Volume:
Mars North Polar Cap
• Gound penetrating Radar from
orbit
• „Handpiece“ for communication
among scientists and data
quality assessment.
Complex
under
side

37. Stack of 3D Bodies (Geology)
Underground model of northeastern Germany
Image: GFZ Section 4.4
Stack of 3D
bodies

38. 3D Volume Stack Details

39. Geological Fault Modelling
• Separation of geologic volumes along complex faults
Faults
Body

40. Space Time Cubes: Tsunami Propagation
Time used as
3rd dimension
ce
Fran
Time used as
3rd dimension
ia
Russ
-
Time
Time
Time
Tohoku 2011
Tsunami. Data:
A.Babeyko 2012

41. The road ahead
• Additional input data sources
• Workflow improvement
• Intellectual property rights and copyrights
• Archiving of scientific 3D prints
• Improved printer hardware

42. Scientific 3D Printing at AGU 2013
IN41B-1606
„An open source workflow for 3D printouts of
scientific data volumes“
(Poster presentation)

43. Thanks you
supporters !
Softw
are
Softw
W ork are
spac
e
• Hardware Infrastructure
Print
in
Proc g
ess
– Jens Wickert (Section 1.1)
– Marcel Ludwig (Section 1.1/Hardware Workshop)
• High Performance Computing Environment:
– Jan Thaler (CeGIT)
– Marina Köhler (Computation Centre / HPC Cluster)
• Data Research
– Jens Klump (CeGIT / Data Research Group)
• Science Data
–
–
–
–
Joachim Wächter, Dorit Kerschke (CeGIT)
Tanja Kollersberger (CGS)
Section 5.4 (Hydrology)
Alessandro Frigeri (INAF, Rome)
Prese
r
vatio
n
QC
Input
Data
Printi
Hard ng
ware

44. Thank you.
Have a great GIS Day 2013 !