Welcome to the UM3D Lab!

As an interdisciplinary service facility, the 3D Lab provides the University of Michigan community with access to high-end technologies in the general areas of 3D computer modeling, visualization, scanning, and rapid prototyping of physical models. The Lab’s resources and consulting services are available to students, faculty, and staff from all schools and colleges for exploration, education, and research.

The 3D Lab also continues the work done by the former Virtual Reality Lab.


Workshops for Faculty, Staff, and Students The UM3D Lab offers workshops periodically to acquaint the University community with its technologies for advanced visualization: Introduction to 3D Modeling and Animation Scanning & Digitizing 3D Objects Introduction to Rapid Prototyping Advanced Rapid Prototyping Exploring 3D Models in Virtual Reality For more information, questions, or suggestions, please e-mail us at <um3d-staff@umich.edu>.

	Emergency Medicine Working with researchers from the Medical School, we’re developing a “Virtual Disaster Simulator” to train and test first-responders for triage in potentially hazardous situations. The Ann Arbor News reported on this project in its Business section in 2008: Reed, Tina (2008 June 23). “Not just playing games: At U-M, virtual-reality researchers are finding real-world uses.” The Ann Arbor News.

Dentistry Eric Maslowski of the UM3D Lab offered a demonstration of the Z-Brush 3D sculpting software at the International Association for Dental Research Conference in New Orleans, Friday, March 23, 2007. See our VRDent Project page for more information, including the Worskop Agenda and a downloadable Z-Brush tutorial.

	Archaeology This is a 3D model from the Kelsey Museum exhibit “Building a New Rome - The Imperial Colony of Pisidian Antioch.” Learn more about the 3D Lab’s contribution in our Pisidian Antioch project page.

Paleontology Together again! Dr. Dan Fisher’s mastodon skeleton from the Natural History Museum on main campus finally has a companion, the human skeleton. The Mastodon can now be viewed on all our visualization systems, including the virtual reality CAVE.

	Art & Design A gallery on our Projects page features over a dozen RP models generated by students of Elona Van Gent and Andrew Kirshner's Art & Design 210 class.

Sports The Virtual Football Trainer lets the user review a play in 3D from any position on the field. The original idea was inspired by Lloyd Carr, head football coach at the University of Michigan. This detailed football player highlights our CAVE capabilities to handle single-mesh avatars. Check out the Quarterback in the Projects section, including several screenshots and a playable .avi. Developed by Scott Hamm and Eric Maslowski.

	Second Life The UM3D Lab has brought Second Life one step closer to real life by developing stereoscopic support for the Second Life viewer. This custom addition allows visitors to see the objects of Second Life in full 3D. The viewer code is described further in our Second Life Development section, and will be made publicly available once a final version is complete. See our full press release in .pdf format.

New Glasses and Wand in the CAVE The new FDM Elite RP machine allowed us to create new markers for our CAVE glasses and the CAVE wand. The new wand is also wireless, which means we’re no longer tethered by wires in the CAVE.

	Mechanical Testing of RP Parts The UM3D Lab has been conducting tensile testing on parts made from our RP machines. This data will provide our engineering and art students with material information that will aid in design for manufacturing via additive processes.

Investment Casting Refinement with the School of Art and College of Engineering Working with the School of Art foundry, and College of Engineering Formula SAE Student Race Team, ZCorp and Barron Industries, the UM3D Lab has been working to refine the use of 3DP patterns for investment casting. Seen here are patterns for cast parts to be used on the MRacing 2008 car.

	Dimension FDM Elite RP machine is fully operational! The new FDM ABS plastics machine is now running and available for print jobs. RP machine specs

Welcome Shawn O’Grady to the 3D Lab! Shawn O’Grady manages our various 3D rapid prototyping and laser scanning technologies. Shawn joins us from Ferris State University in Big Rapids.

	Materialise Software Workshop Hosted in Duderstadt The UM3D Lab hosted a Materialise workshop in the Windows Training Room on October 16 to demonstrate Mimics and 3Matics, two of their 3D editing packages available in the Modeling & Animation Lab.

UM3D Lab at Inventors Reception The UM3D Lab was invited by UM Tech Transfer to participate in the Celebrate Invention showcase on October 3rd, 2007. We demonstrated three of our most interesting software projects: the Second Life Stereo Viewer, the Virtual Jet Ski Driving Simulator, and the Virtual Disaster Simulator.

	Ageia CAVE development Through a close partnership with Ageia, the University of Michigan 3D lab has created several developments for the CAVE that allow the user to experience the virtual world in an entirely new way. Using the Ageia SDK, OpenSG, 3D Studio Max, and a Vicon tracking system, the user can experience a greater sense of physical immersion and freedom within the CAVE. For more information, see the associated poster.

Bright Minds 2007 Brett Lyons of the 3D Lab assisted with the Rapid Technologies & Additive Manufacturing Community’s annual mentoring program, Bright Minds. Fifty students paired with industry professional mentors who guided them through the conference and exhibition hall. They also received information packets to share with fellow students and teachers. The event was sponsored by General Motors.

	The Color Rapidprototyping Machine Has Arrived! The ZCorp 510 Spectrum is here ! This machine was acquired through a College of Engineering shared equipment grant contest, and the 3D CoStudio Project, in collaboration with: the College of Engineering; the School of Art & Design; the School of Music, Theater & Dance; and the School of Kinesiology.

Sensics Head Mounted Display During the week of June 12, 2006, Sensics, Inc., showcased its panoramic head-mounted display (HMD) in the 3D Lab. Representatives from several companies, as well as faculty and students, came to preview this fascinating technology. Sensics’ panoramic HMD, called piSight, delivers full 3D immersion through a 150 degree field of view and a resolution of 2,200 x 1,200 pixels per eye. The device uses 12 microdisplays (arranged 4 wide x 3 high) for each eye and a unique optic system that seamlessly combines these displays into one large wrap-around image. Links: Sensics, Inc., Picture Gallery

	Handyscan 3D The Handyscan 3D Digitizer is here! Staff training and testing has been completed. For more information, check out the webpage in the Hardware section, here.