“New process” used to 3D print insects at high fidelity

Mimaki printing technology has been utilised to produce 3D prints of insects at high fidelity, utilising a reportedly brand-new approach to 3D scanning and printing.

A Mimaki 3DUJ-553 full-colour 3D printer was used by 3D scanning business Macroscans to transform scans of small insects into large-scale prints, while preserving detail to a high level of accuracy, revealing details not noticeable to the naked eye.

According to Hybrid Services, the exclusive UK supplier of Mimaki technology, the new approach “not only exceeds the limits of macro photography or microscopic imaging, but also allows anyone to explore this hidden dimension of life with extraordinary clarity and scale.”

Macroscans began as a personal project by founder Felix Dodd during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the ambition to push the boundaries of digital realism. Dodd previously created virtual reality (VR) software for the construction sector, as well as working with gaming software company Epic Games, known for gaming releases such as Fortnite and Unreal Engine.

As part of his work with the construction sector, Dodd created a collaborative VR tool which uses high-realism photogrammetry scans to enable users to view virtual VR models of buildings and urban spaces.

Dodd’s technology was reportedly able to produce scans with a 1:1 texture fidelity at a minimum of one-metre distance in VR. In practical terms, this means that textures viewed from one metre away in VR could be viewed in full detail without any blur.

The Macroscans project was then started to apply this technology to scans of smaller objects, which required a higher level of texture fidelity.

To increase the texture clarity of the scans for the project, a range of techniques were used including “focus-stacking”. In this method, multiple scans are combined at different focal distances, to overcome the limited depth of field typical of macro camera lenses. This results in denser 3D texture pixels, producing scans with higher definition textures.

After first producing digital VR scans of insects using this new technology, Macroscans then collaborated with Mimaki to create physical 3D prints of the insects.

According to Hybrid, the Mimaki 3DUJ-553 printer was chosen for the project because of its wide colour gamut, able to print in a reported 10 million colours and designed to reproduce highly detailed textures.

The machine also prints in “ultra-thin” 20-micron layers, and has been designed for applications such as producing detailed medical models and product prototypes.

Explaining the thinking behind the project, Dodd says: “The micro world is currently perceived through macro photography or microscope imagery only. With the new process, we now have a way of bringing this part of our world to life in an immersive experience.

“I saw how my children reacted to the huge insects in a VR environment, with much more interest and regard for the creature, which suggested there’s an educational dimension to the project as well. I was keen to take things on another step by creating the physical models to interact with.”

The technology pioneered by Macroscans has been used to produce moving VR models of a wide range of insects. According to the company, the VR experience has been built so that “the hidden world of tiny things can be appreciated and understood properly by children and adults alike.”