Jisc Technology Garden - Update #1

The GB3D Fossil Types Online stand in the  Technology Garden at the Jisc Digital Festival 2014 in Birmingham raised significant interest in 3d-printing and the power of digital models for sharing objects and ideas.

MeshLab representation of 3d digital model of Iguanadon thumb spike, NEWHM G36-63  

Lawrie Phipps of Jisc was so intrigued by the digital model of an Iguanodon thumb spike in the Great North Museum, Newcastle  that he blogged about it - http://lawrie.jiscinvolve.org/wp/2014/04/04/dinose/ 
 

You can download the digital model for yourself from the GB3D Type Fossils online website at: http://www.3d-fossils.ac.uk/fossilType.cfm?typSampleId=25000765

If you don't have access to a 3d printer, you can still appreciate the fossil in three dimensions by viewing the 3d stereo anaglyphs - all you need is a pair of red-cyan glasses that you can buy online for around a pound...

Red-Cyan Stereo Anaglyph of the Iguanadon thumb spike

3D Fossils in the "Technology Garden" at the Jisc Digital Festival - #digifest14 - at the ICC, Birmingham 11 - 12th March 2014

The 3D fossils stand in the Technology Garden

The 3d Fossils team were lucky enough to be invited to the Jisc digital festival in Birmingham earlier this month. We thought it might be fun to take some (nearly) local fossils back “home”, so we were able to demonstrate scanning a crinoid and printing a trilobite, both from Dudley. 

GSM 85097 : Crinoid calyx, or cup, Marsupiocrinus coelatus, Dudley

As plastic trilobites emerged from the printer, we were able to regale people with the story of the famous “Dudley locust” which can still be seen in the coat of arms of the town today. Most people we spoke to seemed to prefer the somewhat more memorable nickname to the fossil’s scientific name of Calymene blumenbachii!

Two newly printed trilobites, GSM 19671

In addition it was great to meet Andy Holland from Bradford University, who have recently completed a project called Digitised Diseases – you can read more about it on their blog.

The atmosphere at the festival was friendly and lively, and everybody we met had clearly come to the festival with an open mind, eager to learn more from the many stands and workshops that were available to visit. 

The 2014 Festival was the first Jisc Digital Festival for a few years, but there was such mix of keynotes, workshops, demonstrations, exhibitors, panel discussions, surgeries, tech demos and expert speakers that everyone was kept thoroughly engaged throughout the two days - and that's not to mention the Digifeast! You can catch up with many of the keynotes online at http://www.jisc.ac.uk/digifest and it's good to know Jisc Digital Festival 2015 is scheduled for 9 - 10th March, also at the ICC, Birmingham

After two enjoyable but tiring days, we returned to Nottingham with more than a few ideas to be thinking about. If you took the time to come and see us in the Technology Garden, then thank you for your time, if you didn’t you can catch up with us via our website or our twitter feed. 

Simon Harris