{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/112911"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/112911","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Printing the invisible : bridging the gap between data and matter through voxel-based 3D printing","abstract":"Scientific visualizations are central to the representation and communication of data in ways that are at once efficient and effective. Numerous data types have established unique formats of representation. In the context of three-dimensional (3D) data sets, such information is often presented as a 3D rendering, a video or an interactive application. The purpose of such visualization is often to emulate the physical, three-dimensional world; however, they remain inherently virtual. Recent advancements in additive manufacturing are making it possible to 'physicalize' three-dimensional data through 3D printing. Still, most 3D printing methods are geared towards single material printing workflows devoid of the ability to physically visualize volumetric data with high fidelity matching their virtual origin. As a result, information and detail are compromised. To overcome this limitation, I propose, design and evaluate a workflow to 'physicalize' such data through multi-material 3D printing. The thesis focuses on methods for voxel-based additive fabrication at high spatial resolution of three-dimensional data sets including - but not limited to point clouds, volumes, lines and graphs, and image stacks. This is achieved while maintaining the original data with high fidelity. I demonstrate that various data sets - often visualized through rasterization on screen - can be translated into physical, materially heterogeneous objects, by means of multi-material, voxel-based 3D printing. This workflow - its related tools, techniques and technologies contained herein - enables bridging the gap between digital information presentation and physical material composition. Developed methods are experimentally tested with various data across scales, disciplines and problem contexts - including application domains such as biomedicine, physics and archeology.","abstract_html":"Scientific visualizations are central to the representation and communication of data in ways that are at once efficient and effective. Numerous data types have established unique formats of representation. In the context of three-dimensional (3D) data sets, such information is often presented as a 3D rendering, a video or an interactive application. The purpose of such visualization is often to emulate the physical, three-dimensional world; however, they remain inherently virtual. Recent advancements in additive manufacturing are making it possible to 'physicalize' three-dimensional data through 3D printing. Still, most 3D printing methods are geared towards single material printing workflows devoid of the ability to physically visualize volumetric data with high fidelity matching their virtual origin. As a result, information and detail are compromised. To overcome this limitation, I propose, design and evaluate a workflow to 'physicalize' such data through multi-material 3D printing. The thesis focuses on methods for voxel-based additive fabrication at high spatial resolution of three-dimensional data sets including - but not limited to point clouds, volumes, lines and graphs, and image stacks. This is achieved while maintaining the original data with high fidelity. I demonstrate that various data sets - often visualized through rasterization on screen - can be translated into physical, materially heterogeneous objects, by means of multi-material, voxel-based 3D printing. This workflow - its related tools, techniques and technologies contained herein - enables bridging the gap between digital information presentation and physical material composition. Developed methods are experimentally tested with various data across scales, disciplines and problem contexts - including application domains such as biomedicine, physics and archeology.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kolb, Dominik."],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Neri Oxman."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017","date_published":"2017","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:51Z","subjects":["Program in Media Arts and Sciences"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/112911","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Neri Oxman."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Kolb, Dominik."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2017-12-20T18:17:01Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-12-20T18:17:01Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2017"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Program in Media Arts and Sciences"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/112911"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2017","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (pages 74-79)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Scientific visualizations are central to the representation and communication of data in ways that are at once efficient and effective. Numerous data types have established unique formats of representation. In the context of three-dimensional (3D) data sets, such information is often presented as a 3D rendering, a video or an interactive application. The purpose of such visualization is often to emulate the physical, three-dimensional world; however, they remain inherently virtual. Recent advancements in additive manufacturing are making it possible to 'physicalize' three-dimensional data through 3D printing. Still, most 3D printing methods are geared towards single material printing workflows devoid of the ability to physically visualize volumetric data with high fidelity matching their virtual origin. As a result, information and detail are compromised. To overcome this limitation, I propose, design and evaluate a workflow to 'physicalize' such data through multi-material 3D printing. The thesis focuses on methods for voxel-based additive fabrication at high spatial resolution of three-dimensional data sets including - but not limited to point clouds, volumes, lines and graphs, and image stacks. This is achieved while maintaining the original data with high fidelity. I demonstrate that various data sets - often visualized through rasterization on screen - can be translated into physical, materially heterogeneous objects, by means of multi-material, voxel-based 3D printing. This workflow - its related tools, techniques and technologies contained herein - enables bridging the gap between digital information presentation and physical material composition. Developed methods are experimentally tested with various data across scales, disciplines and problem contexts - including application domains such as biomedicine, physics and archeology."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.M."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Printing the invisible : bridging the gap between data and matter through voxel-based 3D printing"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Neri Oxman."],"dc:contributor.department":["Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)"],"dc:contributor.other":["Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)"],"dc:creator":["Kolb, Dominik."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2017-12-20T18:17:01Z"],"dc:date.available":["2017-12-20T18:17:01Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2017"],"dc:description":["Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2017","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (pages 74-79)."],"dc:description.abstract":["Scientific visualizations are central to the representation and communication of data in ways that are at once efficient and effective. Numerous data types have established unique formats of representation. In the context of three-dimensional (3D) data sets, such information is often presented as a 3D rendering, a video or an interactive application. The purpose of such visualization is often to emulate the physical, three-dimensional world; however, they remain inherently virtual. Recent advancements in additive manufacturing are making it possible to 'physicalize' three-dimensional data through 3D printing. Still, most 3D printing methods are geared towards single material printing workflows devoid of the ability to physically visualize volumetric data with high fidelity matching their virtual origin. As a result, information and detail are compromised. To overcome this limitation, I propose, design and evaluate a workflow to 'physicalize' such data through multi-material 3D printing. The thesis focuses on methods for voxel-based additive fabrication at high spatial resolution of three-dimensional data sets including - but not limited to point clouds, volumes, lines and graphs, and image stacks. This is achieved while maintaining the original data with high fidelity. I demonstrate that various data sets - often visualized through rasterization on screen - can be translated into physical, materially heterogeneous objects, by means of multi-material, voxel-based 3D printing. This workflow - its related tools, techniques and technologies contained herein - enables bridging the gap between digital information presentation and physical material composition. Developed methods are experimentally tested with various data across scales, disciplines and problem contexts - including application domains such as biomedicine, physics and archeology."],"dc:description.degree":["S.M."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/112911"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Program in Media Arts and Sciences"],"dc:title":["Printing the invisible : bridging the gap between data and matter through voxel-based 3D printing"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:51Z"}