-
3D dinosaur bone printing opens up new possibilities
-
3D printing can be used in geology experiments
-
Flexible 3D printed models reveal more about fossils
Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, and T-Rex, Oh My! Could it be possible to recreate dinosaurs? The recreation of their bones is. Using new printing technology, researchers in Germany have been able to print 3D dinosaur bones. The team used CT-3D printing technology to replicate a fossil that was damaged during World War II.
The Museum fur Naurkunde in Berlin was hit during a bombing raid resulting in the loss of many irreplaceable items, and an absolute puzzle of artifacts that lost their labeling.
The 3D dinosaur bone printing idea began when one of the museum’s paleontologists had a fossil undergo CT scanning to determine which pieces of it were bone, and which were a part of the plaster that it had been encased in.
This is not the first time that 3D printing of a dinosaur bone has been completed. However, it is the first time that a fossil that is still covered in an outer layer has been accurately created through 3D printing.
The 3D dinosaur bone printing was successful due to the imagery captured by the CT scan. After entering the information from the procedure into a 3D printer they were met with success.
According to dotmed, Franek Hasiuk who is a geologist at Iowa State University sees even more possibilities with 3D printing. Aside from printing dinosaur bones, he sees 3D printing as an ability to perform more tests on a single rock specimen then ever possible before. He states, “A lot of the tests we do are destructive â€" the sample has to be thrown away or destroyed.â€Â Therefore, with the capability of producing additional samples, the possibilities are endless, literally.
On a final note, researchers are excited about printing with flexible materials as well, as this will enable them to input a fossil and potentially learn about how they might have moved when alive. Jurassic Park anyone? We may be headed in that direction!
No comments: