The end of another quarter and fun things from the lab...

As the quarter comes to an end I am reflecting back on all the cool things I did.  I am also looking forward to the projects that I have planned for next quarter.

Here are some of the highlights...

The plastic frog (lower left) was scanned then printed life-size and milled from foam bigger than life.

These heart rings are printed in glass...

A few da Vinci drawings made 3D...

This began as the following picture available under a Creative Commons License

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/captbrando/ / CC BY 2.0)

And next quarter I am planning to make my own 3D printer (a reprap Mendel), I also have plans to make a informational video for the clinic on campus.  Both very exciting, I almost can't wait but I am also glad to have a little break, even if I still have to work.

And just as a final note for all those who have always wondered "How many feet of toothpaste is in a tube of toothpaste?" (A question our professor has posed several times)

Approximately 15.5 feet of toothpaste in a tube... (At least with the size bead I was able to consistently make)

From 3D Scan to Moai (think Easter Island)

Here is a combination of several projects in one.  I started with my recent experiments with 3D laser scanning, and the portable rig I built. (Based on a design from the David 3D scanner web site.)

For more detailed picture of the setup and assembly see my YouTube video.

I was inspired to take a scan of my face and morph it into a Moai after seeing some of the Moai Madness going on in the lab (over at Open3DP).

Here is the initial scan of my face:

Using AccuTrans 3D to re-orient and scale (stretch lengthwise) gives this result:

The important thing to note here is that I tilted the surface up (notice the axis in the lower left corner).  This was for two things.  First it minimized stretching the underside of my nose and second it gives the final Moai the right shape.

MeshLab was then used to clean the edges:

Then back to AccuTrans 3D to extrude:

Back to MeshLab to smooth (Laplacian Smooth, several times in different areas until it looked nice and even):

Finally some "mesh aging and chipping" in MeshLab:

Here is a 3D print of the final model:

Some designs on the University blog and scanning my face.

Some of my work has now appeared on the university blog, Open3DP.
You should take a look, there is a lot of cool stuff over there.
http://open3dp.me.washington.edu/?p=502

I have been spending a lot of time exploring the DAVID laser scanner software.  I have built a scanning rig that hold the calibration boards and lets them open so you can scan through the middle.

 This design was adapted from a similar design I found on the DAVID discussion board.  The way mine is constructed allows it it collapse down to flat boards.  This should make it relatively transportable.  I am also working with my lab partner on making a version that does not need the boards to scan.

Here is my latest scan (my face):

It can pick up an amazing amount of detail. (and this is the free version, the pay version is higher resolution)