GuliKasta

13/01/2022

13/01/2022

How 3D objects and pictures of heritage can connect children worldwide
Details are still emerging of the scale of destruction on the heritage site of Palmyra in Syria. Now work is beginning by archaeologists at Oxford and Harvard, determined to create a digital record of the ancient sites that remain. They are planning to get thousands of 3D cameras into Syria and Iraq that can be used by people on the ground to take 3D images of the countries’ cultural heritage.

This work is part of a growing trend to create heritage archives that can be used to support young people learning about world cultures. Online photo banks of heritage artefacts are growing. In the UK, there are quite a few heritage–based visual resources that can be used in the classroom, such as The British Museum’s project “teaching history with 100 objects” and the Wessex Archaeology collection.

Recently, special attention has been placed on 3D heritage visualisations, especially in the emerging area of 3D printing for education. The start-up project Museofabber aims to 3D-print museum collections and use them in the classrooms, inviting teachers to send in requests for objects to be printed. Other 3D printing initiatives include 3D miniatures made by the Virtual Curation Laboratory and 3D printed bones at the University of Western Florida.

Alongside 2D visual artefact collections and 3D printing, educational 3D games have also incorporated heritage artefacts, such as the Danish company Serious Games Interactive’s game for Danish school children featuring Viking heritage and artefacts in the city of Odense.

Using heritage to forge connections
Yet a question remains around the extent to which these educational projects can help connect children of different nations. In order to care for and understand heritage, we need to start with understanding and caring for people around the globe. The idea of using heritage in education to act as “connective tissues” among children and people around the world is especially important for nations that do not belong to the same geographical or cultural realm (for example, East and West). It’s also very pertinent for regions and nations that have experienced a history of conflict, or where heritage may have been destroyed.

Such inter-cultural exchange can challenge particular discourses about heritage, such as those that foster a single, nationalistic interpretation of history, national identity and artefacts or those that include negative images of other people and cultures as a whole. The scholar Amartya Sen argues that a singular, pure identity of any kind is an illusion, connected to many conflicts and barbarities in the world.

I am not calling here for uniformity in the way that heritage artefacts are interpreted, but rather tolerance and reconciliation through human diversity, emphasising more what nations have in common rather than what differentiates them. In line with these ideas, Oxfam GB has called for initiatives that use heritage artefacts in education to promote “positive images of people, places and artefacts”.

A recent article on The Conversation showed a list of world heritage sites in danger. In order to protect and cherish this and any other world heritage, we, educationalists around the world, first need to support children’s understanding about heritage sites in a way that provides multiple interpretations of the significance of artefacts and care for other human beings.

History and culture you can visualise and touch
That is why it is critical to incorporate heritage artefacts in teaching around the world. Children need to learn that the past is always subject to different interpretations, depending on who interprets it.

Pitoti: prehistoric Italian rock art. University of Cambridge, CC BY-ND
A recent study I undertook with colleagues at the University of Nottingham asked a selection of teachers in the Midlands region of England to consider the educational potential of Italian heritage artefacts using 2D and 3D visualisations. The artefacts were named “pitoti” by locals, meaning “little puppets” – a fascinating collection of rock art representing humans, animals, objects and abstract symbols engraved in the rock from prehistory to medieval times in Valcamonica in Italy’s Lombardy region. The British teachers we interviewed thought there was considerable potential in using pictures and 3D visualisations of international heritage across different subjects and activities in the curriculum.

Our research showed that education supported by pictures or 3D technology can help any heritage to cross national borders. Any artefact can be digitised and its history translated into many languages so that language does not act as a barrier for teachers and students in different countries. However, the real challenge is to reach and connect teachers and education systems that may have a limited access to technology or have different political and cultural views around heritage. But we need to start somewhere.

Only time can tell whether 3D technology will become globally accessible and affordable. However, photographs and illustrations can serve this purpose well if access to 3D technology or its cost is an issue. If educationalists around the world are supported to develop initiatives that embrace a more connected and pluralist way of using heritage artefacts in education, they can help connect children around the world. Such an education that fosters intercultural collaboration and dialogue around human artefacts is a small step towards world peace. Perhaps a distant dream, but hopefully an achievable future.

13/01/2022

How virtual 3D modelling and simulation can help us create better cities
New technologies offer new possibilities for planning and designing cities. 3D urban modelling and simulation can give a real sense of the outcomes of planning decisions. However, incorporating these technologies into planning practice has its challenges.

The possibilities of 3D modelling
A virtual 3D city model is a digital model of urban areas. It represents terrain surfaces, sites, buildings, vegetation, infrastructure and landscape elements, and other related objects belonging to an urban space.

This technique can be used to spatially design and visualise development in relation to the existing urban environment. It can also be used to compare different urban design strategies. These can be evaluated against measures such as land use, population and housing densities, building height, floor area ratio, and development costs.

Read more: Data visualisation isn't just for communication, it's also a research tool

Planners can use 3D modelling to analyse and communicate the impact of both existing and new (re)development plans. They can look, for example, at overshadowing, sunlight exposure, view corridors, compliance with zoning regulation, traffic gravity and solar potential of buildings – to name a few.

The 3D models also offer a new platform to involve citizens in urban planning. It is imperative that public concerns, needs and values are part of government decision-making.

How are cities using 3D models?
Local government and the private sector are increasingly using 3D city models to assist planning. An example is Virtual Brisbane. Brisbane City Council uses this computer-generated 3D model for strategic planning, development assessment and community engagement.

Singapore is launching Virtual Singapore, a 3D replica of the city-state in July 2018. This platform will offer new possibilities for urban planners.

Both Detroit in the US and Munich in Germany see realistic 3D modelling as important for planning their future.

Companies like Dassault Systems are partnering with different cities to use digital tools to develop more responsive cities. The 3DExperienceCity project allows urban planners to digitally test ideas and better consider the impact of urbanisation.

These techniques also integrate people, enabling a more personalised approach to planning to be developed.

Integration into planning education
The increasing demand from industry for spatially adept planners adds to the importance of introducing new ways of teaching and training built-environment professionals.

The University of Queensland is leading a project where researchers design and implement a sequential learning curriculum in its Bachelor of Urban and Town Planning program. By developing virtual 3D models students develop their spatial skills.

Students learn to use ESRI’s CityEngine, an industry-standard software to develop 3D city models. This enables them to visualise, plan, assess and communicate existing and new developments. Most students in our experiment were enthusiastic about this new learning opportunity to hone their spatial skills, particularly in the earlier stage of the learning process.

However, they were constrained by the limited time available to learn to use the technology. And the joy of learning and skill development is also challenged by the need to go beyond their comfort zone to secure a good grade in the course. Nonetheless, students became fully aware of the technologies and recognised the importance of spatial skills for their professional development.

Example of students’ work using ESRI’s CityEngine program. Author supplied
The emergence of geodesign is at the intersection of geography, urban design and geospatial technologies. It helps inform when, where and how students develop spatial thinking capacities and skills.

These capabilities are critical to managing, visualising, representing and navigating a data-based world. It also purposefully exposes students to innovative learning environments that allow them to visualise design scenarios and so better manage uncertainty.

The use of interactive digital mapping in higher education is an effective instructional strategy to teach and practise critical spatial thinking.

Augmented reality technology offers students a new way to visualise urban landscapes. It develops their map-reading skills and allows them to interpret landscape representations. This enhances their ability to understand the physical and digital aspects of urban places.

The rise of geospatial technologies, sensor networks and the “Internet of Things” is transforming the urban planning curriculum, design and pedagogy. It provides students with new ways of learning critical spatial thinking skills and improves the training of spatial planners to better equip them for the age of co-creation.

Read more: Internet of Things data will help us predict the future

It also improves their spatial literacy to co-design the built environment. This can help them become better planners, become more relevant to design practice and increase their overall competency and employability when they enter the workplace.

3D modelling and simulation certainly offer new possibilities in designing planning solutions. City dwellers must be included in this process to develop strategies that are more responsive to sustainability challenges such as urban population growth.

13/01/2022

Nigeria isn’t big on 3D printing. Teaching students how to use it could change this
3D printing is a technology that’s forecast to change the world. Already several fortune 500 companies – such as Siemens, General Electric, and Boeing – have invested in it.

3D printing mimics regular paper printing where a computer-aided designed part is sent to a printer for direct manufacture. Technically, this involves the digital data of a computer aided 3D model design being sent to the printer which then produces the object layer-by-layer. The process enables the conversion of almost any virtual object into real parts.

In more developed countries, 3D printing is already being introduced into design work flows by several manufacturing giants. However, in less develped countries like Nigeria, little is known about vast aspects of the technology even in academic institutions.

In our study, we set out to investigate how well versed people in Nigeria’s industrial and educational sectors were about the technology. We also wanted to assess whether it should be introduced to science and engineering education in the country. We took this approach because the growth of 3D printing in Nigeria is expected to affect manufacturing as well as the education sector.

We concluded from our research that the technology is lacking in the Nigerian industrial setting. We also found that it offers the opportunity for new teaching practices in science and engineering programs because it has the rare advantage of applying to anyone with a basic understanding of computer aided design. This can range from senior secondary school students to university students and professionals.

The landscape
We surveyed over 60 participants from various universities and industries in Nigeria. We tested respondents on their awareness of the technology and its capabilities.

We found that over 90% of the participants had heard of 3D printing. But only 38% had a basic understanding of the technology. And only 12% indicated their ability to use fused deposition modelling, arguably the most popular 3D printing polymer technology.

The fact that so few people know how to use the technology isn’t surprising. Engagement with 3D printing in Nigeria’s manufacturing sector is low.

In 2017, Nigerian Foundries Limited, one of the leading ferrous foundries in Africa bought the largest 3D printer in West Africa from Titan Robotics. This printer is used to speed up the creation of a range of patterns needed for moulding and casting clients’ products.

But this is a rare example in the country.

Aside from awareness and a deficit in skills, adopting 3D printing has faced another major hurdle in Nigeria – the reliance on imports. Nigeria’s growing reliance on imported goods has hindered local content development and in turn hindered localised manufacturing. Only a few well-established manufacturing companies are able to compete with importers.

3D printing offers itself as a convenient method of local manufacturing because it can be customised and has relatively low production outputs.

In the educational sector, we found that 3D printing efforts were less than average. A few universities boast of owning 3D printers. But these were often left idle in research centres, and out of the reach of students who will benefit from using them.

Some outliers, like the University of Lagos, said they’d received donations of 3D printing equipment. And they have gone ahead to set up hackathons for students.

These efforts are notable. But more is necessary to ensure students are adept with the technology. This will foster more robust research and general knowledge of 3D printing technologies within academic institutions and industries likewise.

Consequences
There are several consequences of low 3D printing adoption in Nigeria.

One is the skills gap between industry and university students. This gap progressively widens as technological advancements speed up. It makes it difficult for employers, ready to research and implement these emerging technologies, to find skilled and knowledgeable recruits.

On the flip side, the students skilled in 3D printing also face a lack of gainful employment because of the technology’s low-level adoption amongst manufacturing companies.

Ways to boost the 3D printing engagement
3D printing may continue to be sidelined in to the industry until deliberate attempts are made to support local manufacture – and limit importation.

Other great options the government should explore include loans to digital manufacturers, and awareness campaigns.

But possibly the biggest boost could come from introducing 3D printing in the educational sector and curriculum. This would afford high school and university students the opportunity to engage with the technology, improving their knowledge and cognitive skills.

Students in an academic setting could be given opportunities to perform projects and solve problems based on practical scenarios. Project-driven teams could be set up for research or student competition purposes.

3D printing could also be introduced in form of practical courses in a laboratory.

The government should also consider providing schools with facilities that encourage the adoption of 3D printing adoption. Examples include open access laboratories equipped with 3D printers and funding countrywide competitions that encourage manufacturing ideas.

These kinds of competition models have been successfully implemented in the US..

3D printing in industry is virtually absent from Nigeria’s industrial sector. It’s also virtually absent as a subject in the education sector. One way to unleash its potential in the manufacturing sector would be to educate students. This can help students improve skills and knowledge in advanced manufacturing thus making them more competitive in the industry.

It can also be a backbone for local manufacturing, encouraging individuals to develop startups with “homegrown” solutions.

13/01/2022

13/01/2022