A data processing method pioneered by the Wyss Institute in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab removes that roadblock by converting various different forms of imaging data into a file type called ‘dithered bitmaps,’ which preserves fine details and allows quick and easy distinction between different parts of an image.
The researchers hope that this ‘bridging of the gap between digital information representation and physical material composition’ will help democratise 3D printing and allow anyone to print nearly anything.
A selection of the physical objects their method created from various imaging datasets was featured in Science Advances.
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Image credit: The Mediated Matter Group / MIT Media Lab.
