This document discusses the potential for using 3D printing to communicate scientific findings. It provides an overview of 3D printing technologies and describes the current status of scientific 3D printing at GFZ. Examples are given of how 3D printing could be used to visualize geospatial data sets and higher-dimensional data. The document outlines next steps, including assigning metadata to printed objects. Open issues around standards, software, and intellectual property are also mentioned.

1. Scientific 3D Printing
A Work in Progress Report
GFZ Geoinformatics Kolloquium
April 3 2013
Peter Löwe, Jens Klump (CeGIT), Jens Wickert (Section 1.1)

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12. Reality Check – 3D Printing
• Since 1987: Growing use in the manufacturing industry
• Mid 2000s: Low cost printers reach the mainstream
1983: 2013:
ZX81 MakerBot
Homecomputer 3D Printer
(1Kb RAM !) (1 Color !)

13. Reality Check – 3D Printing
• Since 1987: Growing use in the manufacturing industry
• Mid 2000s: Low cost printers reach the mainstream
1983: 2013:
ZX81 MakerBot
Homecomputer 3D Printer
(1Kb RAM !) (1 Color !)
GeoInformatics

14. 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

15. Status 3D printing – according to Google
3D Printing
2013
http://surveys.peerproduction.net/wp-
content/uploads/2012/11/GoogleTrendsGartnerHypeCycle.png

16. Web 2.0

17. Web 2.0: 3D Print Shops & Repositories

18. Web 2.0: 3D Print Shops & Repositories
Software services to provide „hard data“

19. What is…
3D Printing

20. What is…
3D Printing (additive manufacturing)
A process of
• making a three-dimensional solid object of
• virtually any shape from a
• digital model
[Wikipedia]

21. 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]

22. Technologies for 3D Printing
• Extrusion deposition

23. Technologies for 3D Printing
• Extrusion deposition
• Granular materials binding
– selective laser sintering,
– inkjet 2D printing

24. Technologies for 3D Printing
• Extrusion deposition
• Granular materials binding
– selective laser sintering,
– inkjet 2D printing
• Lamination (e.g: Paper stack)

25. 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)

26. Scientific 3D Printing:
Current Status
• An observation, by a sensor, results in a geo-referenced data set.

27. Scientific 3D Printing:
Current Status
• An observation, by a sensor, results in a geo-referenced data set.
Data
Set

28. Scientific 3D Printing:
Current Status
• 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”),
Processing
Data 3D
Set (CeGIT) „PDF“

29. Scientific 3D Printing:
Current Status
• 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.
Processing Printing
Data 3D Printout
Set (CeGIT) „PDF“ (Section 1.1)

30. Scientific 3D Printing:
Current Status
• 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.
Processing Printing
Data 3D Printout
Set (CeGIT) „PDF“ (Section 1.1)

31. Scientific 3D Printing:
Next Steps
Processing Printing
Data 3D Printout
Set (CeGIT) „PDF“ (Section 1.1)
• The new print needs
to be linked to its
metadata to ensure
its scientific meaning Metadata assignment
and context.

32. Scientific 3D Printing: Use Cases
Data
Provider

33. Scientific 3D Printing: Use Cases
Processing Printing
Data 3D Printout
Set (CeGIT) „PDF“ (Section 1.1)
Data
Provider

34. Scientific 3D Printing: Use Cases
Processing Printing
Data 3D Printout
Set (CeGIT) „PDF“ (Section 1.1)
Data
Provider
Science
Communication

35. 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>

36. 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.

37. GFZ Printer Hardware
RapMan 3.2 3D Printer

38. GFZ Printer Hardware
RapMan 3.2 3D Printer

39. GFZ Printer Hardware
RapMan 3.2 3D Printer

40. RapMan 3.2: Reality Check

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

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

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

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

45. Application Examples

46. Example: 2.5D Surface (Geography)
Top
• Theme: Land Surface Side
• Input: Digital elevation
model (xyz data)
• Output: Simplified 2.5D
elevation surface.

47. Example: 2.5D Surface (Geology)
Top
• Theme: Upper limit of Side
Zechstein deposits
• Input: Surface model
(xyz)
• Output: 2.5D Surface

48. Example: 3D Body (Pedology/Glaciology)
Top
Side
• Theme: North Polar Ice-
cap of Mars
• Input: Volume data
compiled from cross-
sections (ground
penetrating Radar)
Under
• Output: 3D volume model Side

49. 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.

50. Example: Stack of 3D Bodies (Geology)
• Theme: Underground
model north-eastern
Germany.
• Input: Multiple geological
surfaces (xyz * n) Image: GFZ Section 4.4
• Output: Stack of
multicolored geological
volumes. Multiple
3D
Bodies

51. Example:3D Volume Stack (Geology)

52. Example: Higher dimensional data

53. Space Time Cubes (STC)
Example: Minard`s Map (1869)
• a chart depicting the
• losses of the napoleoan army
Time
• during the russian campaign
1812/13

54. Application Field:
Transient spatiotemporal phenomena
Data: A.Babeyko 2012, Visualisation: CeGIT

55. Handpiece: Tsunami Wave Space Time
Cube
Time used Time used
as 3rd as 3rd
dimension dimension
Tohoku 2011
Tsunami. Data:
A.Babeyko 2012

56. The Road Ahead
Processing Printing
Data 3D Printout
Set (CeGIT) „PDF“ (Section 1.1)
Metadata assignment

57. The Road Ahead
Processing Printing
Data 3D Printout
Set (CeGIT) „PDF“ (Section 1.1)
Metadata assignment

58. The Road Ahead
Processing Printing
Data 3D Printout
Set (CeGIT) „PDF“ (Section 1.1)
Metadata assignment

59. The Road Ahead
Processing Printing
Data 3D Printout
Set (CeGIT) „PDF“ (Section 1.1)
Metadata assignment

60. Open Issues
• Emerging standards
• Scientific software services
• Intellectual property rights and copyrights
• Archiving of scientific 3D prints

61. 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.

62. Let‘s discuss
• Application scenarios ?
• Requirements ?
• Opportunities ?

63. THANK YOU