3D Printing For The Classroom
Matthew Butler, Leona Holloway, Kim Marriott
Presentation Overview
• Whoarewe?• Anoverviewofour3Dprintingprojects• Preliminaryfindingsonthebestusesof3DprintingforAccessibleGraphics
• Arunthroughof3Dprintersandtheircosts• Findingpre-existing3Dmodelsforprinting• Creatingyourownmodels• Wheretofromhere
Who We Are
• Weareresearchers fromMonash University,workingonabroadrangeofresearchprojects,focusedinareasrelatingtoinformationgraphicsandtheuseofemergingtechnologiesforvisualisation andcomputerinteraction
• Accessiblegraphicshasbeenafocusofresearchforanumberofyearsnow,especiallyforKimandChatai
• Leonahasmanyyearsofpracticalexperience intheprovisionofaccessiblegraphics,atorganisations suchasVisionAustralia
What We Have Been Up To
• Wehavebeenengagedinanumberofresearchprojectsoverthepastfewyears,centeredaroundtheprovisionofaccessiblegraphics
• Thesehaveincluded:• Exploring theuseof tablettechnologyandhapticdevicesforauthoring,
delivering, andinteractingwithaccessiblegraphics(ARCLinkage)• Improving theprovisionofaccessiblegraphicsintheHigherEducation
context(OLTFunded)• Exploring3DprintingandeBooksintheprimaryschoolcontext(withInsight
Education)
3D Printing Projects
• Theseprojectshaveinvolvedanumberofaspectsrelatingto3Dprinting:• Exploring theuseof3Dprinting topresentinherently3D-basedgraphics• Exploring theuseof3Dprinting forpresenting2D-basedgraphics,suchas
mapsandfloorplans• Exploringhow3Dprinting canbeusedtofacilitatetheunderstanding of
moreabstractrepresentationsofobjects• Exploringhow3Dprinting canbeaugmentedwithlowcostelectronicsto
facilitatericherinteraction
3D Printed Buildings, Mountains, Anatomy, Maps, and Information Graphics
Interactive 3D Printed Campus Maps
How Can 3D Printing Help?
• Duringtheseprojects,wehaveobserved:• Widespreadenthusiasmwhenprovidedwith3Dprintedmaterials• Greatertendencytointeractwithandexploreagraphic• Ability tobetterunderstand inherently3D-basedobjectscomparedwitha
tactilerepresentation• Ability tobetterunderstandsometraditionally2Dgraphicssuchasmapsand
floorplans• Ability tobeasteppingstoneintheunderstanding oftactileabstract
representations
How Can 3D Printing Help?
• Aformalresearchstudywith12blindparticipantswasconducteddirectlycomparingtactileand3Drepresentationsofparkandtrainstationmaps
• Itfound:• The3Dmodelswerepreferred• 3Dallowedbetteruseoficonicrepresentations• Resultedinmorevividmentalmodels• Anumberofotherinformalevaluationshavesuggestedsimilaroutcomes
3D Printing Practicalities
• Sohowdoyougetgoingwith3Dprinting?• Therearetwomainareasyouneedtobecomefamiliarwith:
• The3Dprintersthemselves• Sourcingorcreatingmodels forprinting
3D Printers
• 3Dprintingtechnologyisbecomingincreasinglymoreaffordableandusablebynon-technologists
• Consumerlevelprintersrangeinpricefrom$1000upward• Manyhighqualityprinterscanbeobtainedfor$5000orless• Consumablesrunatabout$40foraspoolofplasticthatcanprintmanyobjects
13
Prusa Makerbot Ultimaker
3D Printers
• Therealities:• Theyarenotquiteatthelevelsofreliabilityofmainstreamprinters• Whiletechnologyexpertsarenotrequired, someonewithaninterestin
technologywouldneedtobeonboard• Initialpricescanbeconsideredhigh,howeveroperationalcosts(including
priceofconsumables) isrelativelylow• Pricesarecomingdownandhardwareisbecomingbetterandeasierto
maintain
3D Models For Printing
• Thiscanprovemoreofachallengeforthoseembracing3Dprinting,howeverthingsaregettingeasiereveryday
• SitessuchasThingiverse providethousandsof3Dmodels,readyforprinting,freeofcharge
• Thesecanbeofvaryingqualityhoweverforwell-knownplacesorobjects,suitablemodelsaretypicallyfound
• Thingiverse Demo:http://thingiverse.com
3D Models For Printing
• Manyfreesoftwaretoolsexistfordoingthemodelling,includingTinkercad (veryeasytouse)andSketchup (moderatelyeasytouse)
• Freetoolsforcreating3Dmodelsfrompre-existingresourcesareemerging,suchastouch-mapper.org
• Thinkercad Demo:http://tinkercad.com• TouchMapperDemo:https://touch-mapper.org/en
Where Are We Going From Here?
• Weareworkingonanumberofprojectscontinuingthiswork• Continuing ourformalstudyon thebenefitsof3Dprintedaccessiblegraphics• Exploring formallyhowtheycanbeused intactileliteracy• Exploringhowmoremeaningful interactionscanbeintegratedinto3Dprints
through theuseoflow-costelectronics• Establishingawebsitetohouse resourcesforthecreationof3Dprinted
models