Laser Art - cool 3d art from science.

 
Etching art in glass is something I've become very interested in lately.

Laser etching has been around for some time now...there are places you can go to etch a picture in glass, paper weights, etc.

I'm interested in using the medium to visualize 3d scientific data. Things like MRIs and CTs, geometric shapes, molecules, models, etc.

So to start I'm thinking of developing a point cloud form of my head in 3d to send to a wholesale crystal etcher.

Bathsheba Sculpture - This artist does exactly what I want to get into. He's done all sorts of great work, check him out!


You might be wondering, why is this in the programming section? Well, at this point I'm thinking I'm going to have to develop some software to render the point clouds for production. I've called some shops and everyone I've spoken to tells me that they can simply render DICOM imagery. So I've got to do the cleanup, modeling, and creation of point cloud information myself.

Etching Vendors
http://www.precisionlaserart.com/
Min Spacing information
x&y - min spacing .14mil
z- .4mil
181dpi x and y

Some side information on point clouds:
Point Cloud Visualization
FROM POINT CLOUD TO SURFACE: THE MODELING AND VISUALIZATION PROBLEM
3D Scanners, Digitizers, and Software for making 3D Models and 3D Measurements