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As the amount of scientific data continues to grow, researchers need new tools to help them visualize complex data. Immersive data-visualisations are helpful, yet fail to provide tactile feedback and sensory feedback on spatial orientation, as provided from tangible objects. The gap in sensory feedback from virtual objects leads to the development of tangible representations of geospatial information to solve real world problems. Examples are animated globes [1], interactive environments like tangible GIS [2], and on demand 3D prints. The production of a tangible representation of a scientific data set is one step in a line of scientific thinking, leading from the physical world into scientific reasoning and back: The process starts with a physical observation, or from a data stream generated by an environmental sensor. This data stream is turned into a geo-referenced data set. This data is turned into a volume representation which is converted into command sequences for the printing device, leading to the creation of a 3D printout. As a last, but crucial step, this new object has to be documented and linked to the associated metadata, and curated in long term repositories to preserve its scientific meaning and context. The workflow to produce tangible 3D data-prints from science data at the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) was implemented as a software based on the Free and Open Source Geoinformatics tools GRASS GIS and Paraview. The workflow was successfully validated in various application scenarios at GFZ using a RapMan printer to create 3D specimens of elevation models, geological underground models, ice penetrating radar soundings for planetology, and space time stacks for Tsunami model quality assessment. While these first pilot applications have demonstrated the feasibility of the overall approach [3], current research focuses on the provision of the workflow as Software as a Service (SAAS), thematic generalisation of information content and long term curation. [1] http://www.arcscience.com/systemDetails/omniTechnology.html [2] http://video.esri.com/watch/53/landscape-design-with-tangible-gis [3] Löwe et al. (2013), Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 15, EGU2013-1544-1.
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An open source workflow for 3D printouts of scientific data volumes
www.gfz-potsdam.de
Figure F: 3D print of the volume body of thenorth polar cap of Mars. Data Source: Groundpentrating radar from the SHARAD and MARSIS sensors [Frigeri 2012].
Results: The software workflow to produce tangible 3D data-prints from science data at the German Research Centre forGeosciences (GFZ) was implemented based on the Free and Open Source Geoinformatics tools GRASS GIS and Paraview. The workflow was successfully validated in various application scenarios at GFZ using a RapMan 2.0 printer to create 3D printouts of various scientific data sets (Figure B). These comprise elevation models (Figure E), geological undergroundmodels (Figures C and G), ice penetrating radar soundings (Figure F), and space time stacks for Tsunami model qualityassessment (Figure D). While these first pilot applications have demonstrated the feasibility of the overall approach [3], current developmentfocuses on software modularisation (GRASS add-on modules) and the provision of the workflow as Software as a Service (SAAS). In addition, best practices for thematic generalisation of information content and long term curation are beingdefined.
Peter Loewe¹, Jens F Klump², Jens Wickert², Marcel Ludwig², Alessandro Frigeri³1. German National Library for Science and Technology, Hannover, Germany. 2. GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany. 3. Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario - INAF, Rome, Italy.Contact: [email protected]
AGU2013- IN41B-1606
Challenge: As the amount of scientific data continues to grow, researchers need new tools to help them visualize complexdata. Immersive data-visualisations are helpful, yet fail to provide tactile feedback and sensory feedback on spatialorientation, as provided from tangible objects. The gap in sensory feedback from virtual objects leads to the development of tangible representations of geospatial information for science interpretation of real world problems. Examples are animatedglobes [1], interactive environments like tangible GIS [2], and on demand 3D prints.
Approach: The production of a tangible representation of a scientific data set is one step in a line of scientific thinking, leading from the physical world into scientific reasoning and back (Figure A): The process starts with data from an environmental sensor or a simulation result, which is turned into a geo-referenced data set. This data is converted into a volume representation which is transformed in to a suitable pre-press format for the printing device, leading to the creationof a 3D printout. As a last, but crucial step, this new object has to be documented and linked to the associated metadata, and curated in long term repositories to preserve its scientific meaning and contex.
[1] http://www.arcscience.com/systemDetails/omniTechnology.html[2] http://video.esri.com/watch/53/landscape-design-with-tangible-gis[3] Löwe et al. (2013), GeophysicalResearch Abstracts, Vol. 15, EGU2013-1544-1.
Figure G: 3D printed stackof the underlying geology of the eastern german basin. The 3D prints depict permo-carbon volcanics (red), Rot-liegend sandstones (brown), permian Zechstein (blue), triassic Buntsandstein (purple), upper cretacious(green), and quaternarydeposits (yellow).
Figure D: 3D print (top) of a Space-Time stack modelling of a simulation of the Tohoku 2011 Tsunami (bottom). Simulation byA. Babeyko, GFZ Potsdam, 2011.
Figure C: Complex faults can beused as cutlines to split geologicbodies in a 3D print. Data: GFZ PotsdamVisualisation: Paraview
Figure E: 3D print of the digital elevationmodel of martian volcanoe Olympus Mons. Data Source: HRSC-Sensor, Express Orbiter Misson (provided by INAF).
Technical Printing Process
Metadata Management
ScientificData
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pretationGRASS 7 Pre-press
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PrintingPetrel
Paraview
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Figure B: Overview of the 3D printingworkflow: Geologic models (created in Petrel) and other geodata sources areprocessed in GRASS GIS to create pre-press data sets for the actual 3D printingprocess. Paraview is used both forvisualisation and data filtering.
Figure A: The core aspects of scientific 3D prints: The primary usefor interpretation of science is enabled by the 3D print specimen, produced from technical printing process including data reduction and generalisation. In addition, metadata preservation must be ensured to preserve the scientific content.
GRASS 7 Pre-press3D
PrintingPetrel
Paraview
Geo
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