Annotated Bibliography

Name: Tracey Dalton

Student Number: D10120799

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Date: 18 March 2014

Module: Trends in eLearning - MSc. Applied eLearning

Reference 1
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3D Printing Dublin: Workshop on 3D Printing attended on 12 February 2014.

I attended a workshop at 3D Printing Dublin in support of my research into the trend.
The workshop consisted of an introduction to the actual products and prototypes
which can be printed in three dimensions, which were on display at the venue. There
was also an active 3D print in progress, in liquid plastic, in the shop window for all
passers-by to see. We were then given a lengthy PowerPoint presentation on the
invention and evolution of 3D printing, with evidence of its use in industry and
education. It is being used presently in fashion design, medical research,
architecture, jewellery design and by the US armaments industry and army. The
presentation also covered the various types of printer available and the 3D CAD
software companies who will design and /or 3D print a prototype or finished product
for you. The presentation showed the position of 3D printing on Gartners Hype
Cycle, which showed the companys awareness of this. This proceeded to a tutorial
on the process of 3D printing, using 3D CAD software, slicing software and printing.
Google Sketchup, which is one of the 3D software packages which can be used,
was demonstrated, and then the class got an opportunity to work with the software.
I found this workshop very useful for my chosen topic. It was a vital part of my
research for this module, in order to fully understand the technology. I learned a lot
about its use in industry and how long it has taken this technology trend to reach its
position on the NMC Horizon Report. It was very useful to see the real product from
the printer on site. My criticism of this workshop would be that it was, naturally,
industry and business focused, with a slightly one sided view being expressed. The
speaker seemed to believe that 3D printing would overtake the artisan methods of
creation, due to time and expense. They also played down the downsides of
technology errors in the process and the time it takes to produce the finished print.
There was less emphasis on education and research benefits because of the
business focus on selling products and services.
I do believe from what I learned here that 3D printing has great benefits for many
disciplines and trades, but the time and expense involved is still an issue. Otherwise,
Im sure that I would have been able to 3D print and take home my own design within
the three hour session. There will always be a market for man-made objects and
pieces of art, alongside this emerging technology, in my opinion.

Reference 2
Anonymous, (2013) Ping Fu on 3D Printing on Vimeo - Object: Australian Design
Centre. Retrieved on 15th February 2014 from Vimeo.com
In this short video we are introduced to Ping Fu, a Chinese American entrepreneur
and author. She is the founder of Geomagic, which is a company providing 3D
software files for 3D printing. She was first introduced to 3D printing at a presentation
by Chuck Hull in 1996. He is the creator of the first known 3D printer, in the mid1980s and is CEO of 3D Systems. Ping Fu sold Geomagic and is now chief
strategist for 3D Systems.
Ping Fu believes that 3D printing will be huge in the next five years. She believes it
will bring about more local industry, with local materials, and less waste in
manufacturing, producing on demand products, not wasteful products that no one
wants. Therefore, she sees the technology as promoting sustainability. She sees it as
the fusion of art and science, with the artist and designer working with cutting edge
technology. She presents some of the 3D printed products her company has created,
including shoes, jewellery and fabrics. The structure of the fabrics, for example, is
almost equivalent to fibres under a microscope, looking impossible to create by hand
or with a conventional machine.
She believes that with great success comes great failure; unpredictable fallout, such
as the anti-social effect of the internet on society. However, she believes that human
beings are resilient and will overcome the unpredictable. The reason for her positive
outlook on emerging technologies can be partly attributed to her childhood in China
during the Cultural Revolution. She experienced tremendous hardship, including both
of her parents being imprisoned and being left to raise herself and her sibling. She
came to the United States as a refugee.
I found this video very useful for my research into 3D printing as Ping Fu is one of the
pioneers of the technology and she speaks frankly about the benefits of 3D printing in
design and manufacturing, arguing her point in a positive manner. She doesnt shy
away from the negatives but defends her stance that the positives outweigh the
negatives. This video was created by The Australian Design Centre. It focuses on
fashion and product design primarily. It doesnt speak of the benefits for teaching,
learning and research in other fields such as medicine. She comes from a business
perspective and speaks from this angle, focussing on industry and manufacturing.
She is an inspirational person, who has achieved great success, despite tremendous
adversity. Having someone like Ping Fu as an advocate for 3D printing, it seems to
have infinite possibilities. Her positivity is a great marketing tool for the technology.

Reference 3
Collins, O., (2012) Affordable 3D Printing. Theatre Design & Technology. Pp. 10-19.
Retrieved on 30th January 2014 from Art & Architecture Complete Database
Owen Collins is chair of the department of theatre and dance at Washington and Lee
University. His area of research looks at the integration of technology into theatre
practice. Therefore, he concludes the article by focussing on this area of the arts.
Collins begins with the argument that we all have nostalgia for analog techniques
such as hand drawing, but we are aware that technology can increase the efficiency
with which we express ourselves and revise our work. He proceeds to acknowledge
the benefits of CAD software and then explains what rapid prototyping or 3D printing
is. He discusses high end industrial 3D printing companies and the lower end printers
which can be bought and assembled by hobbyists. He uses visual examples to show
differences in output quality between the two types.
He explains the process behind 3D printing, talking in depth about the layer by layer
additive process, the required software, file format, slicing software and g-code
involved in setting up the 3D file for print. He gives information on open source
projects such as the RepRap project by Adrian Bowyer of Bath University. The
negatives are discussed, such as knowing how to calibrate a 3D printer, the lack of
technical support easily available on-line and the research and time involved in
assessing the feedback you get on-line. The major companies, such as, Makerbot,
Makergear and Ultimaker are compared in detail in terms of software compatibility,
equipment, cost and raw materials used in the process.
The next section looks at the finished prototype or product and issues around the
solidity of it. It discusses the pitfalls of creating certain shapes which require
scaffolding to support overhangs in the design and the issue with the computer not
working out which part of the 3D file is the outside or inside of the model, if the
drawing is not watertight, or fully closed. The paper asks the question whether 3D
printing saves time, giving different examples in theatre design, such as making
moulds. It is agreed that the process takes time, but on the other hand, it frees up the
designers time to do other tasks during the print process.
It concludes that the 3D printer in theatre and film design is a useful tool. It is not
suitable for everything in the industry but has proven its use in films such as
Coraline (2009) and in prototyping theatre set furniture with intricate detail.
This paper was very useful for my research as it went into immense detail about the
process involved. It could relate to any discipline, not just theatre design, and most of
the article was generic. It gave me just as much, if not more information, about the
process, as I got on my visit to 3D Printing Dublin. It also gave the benefit of
discussing the negatives in more depth, as opposed to a 3D printing business with
monetary objectives.

Reference 4
Yap, C., (2013) The Printer Worth a Thousand Words. Artists grapple with the 3Dprinting revolution and with each other. Art Asia Pacific. Pp. 41- 42. Retrieved on
30th January 2014 from Art & Architecture Complete Database.
In this article Yap argues that 3Dprinting is no longer science fiction but reality for
artists, designers and everyday consumers. There is now a 3D printing museum in
Beijing where visitors can be 3D scanned and end their visit with a mini 3D print of
themselves. He talks of the technologys use by Iris van Herpen in fashion design
and the first 3D printed dress by Michael Schmidt for Deeta Von Teese, the
burlesque performer.
He goes on to mention the collaboration between Foster & Partners Architects and
the European Space Agency to build a space station on the moon from lunar soil.
Another area in science he refers to is the use of 3D printing to create replica fossils
in museums, as well as the emergence of 3D Hackathons where artists created
innovative works by scanning objects in art galleries such as MOMA in New York.
This opens up the main discussion in the article, that of copyright issues with 3D
printing in the art world. He uses various imaginary and real scenarios to explain this
issue. One example given is when a Dutch designer, Ulrich Schwanitz, filed a
copyright complaint, which was the first involving 3D printing in 2011. He claimed he
had figured out how to print the Penrose Triangle, created by Swedish graphic artist
Oscar Reutersvard in 1934. This is a visual illusion, known as an impossible triangle.
He kept his methods secret. However, a Canadian designer, Artur Tchoukanov came
up with a solution and posted it as an open source design on Thingiverse, a 3D
printing file sharing website. Schwanitz wanted it taken down immediately, but there
were complaints that he did not own the copyright and that you cannot copyright an
optical illusion.
Yap argues that due to these copyright grey areas and the speed at which the
technology can produce art, the value of unique art works may rise because they will
be perceived as rarities. He finishes with the comment Technology can create a lot
of things, but its not yet capable of producing a rational consumer.
I found this article useful for my project because it introduced me to some uses for
3D printing in the science and art world and also to the fascinating area of copyright.
Yap argues successfully on the subject, concluding that original works will increase in
value. This is heartening for the artist and gives a good argument for the continuation
of man-made works, alongside the benefits of technology to enhance ideas. It also
emphasizes the fact that there are always similar ideas and inventions occurring in
peoples minds throughout the world and this has happened for hundreds of years.

Reference 5
Treacy, M. (2013) 10 ways 3D printers are advancing science. Retrieved 9th
February 2014 from www.treehugger.com (NMC Horizon Report 2014: go.nmc.org/
10ways)
Treehugger is a Canadian blog and newsletter with a goal to introduce sustainability
into mainstream design. It was recommended on the NMC Horizon Report 2014 as a
source for research on the technology. In the blog Treacy lists ten ways that 3D
printing has advanced science. These are as follows:
1. 3D printing on the moon: The project between Foster & Partners and the ESA
to build a lunar base from lunar soil.
2. 3D printed tags to track big fish: Tags are used to track big fish like tuna and
shark, which are in danger of extinction.
3. 3D printing fossils: 3D scanned fossils are reproduced for museums,
preserving the originals in a safe place.
4. 3D printing skin: University of Toronto have developed a method of printing
skin cells, which could replace the use of skin grafts in burn victims.
5. 3D printing lab supplies: Producing plastic lab supplies, such as gel combs, for
a fraction of the price of the manufactured product.
6. Printing embryonic stem cells: Heriot-Watt University have developed a valve
based printer which is delicate enough to produce embryonic stem cells.
7. 3D printing ears: Cornell University have developed technology to print life like
prosthetic ears from gels made up of living tissue, which are used for birth
defects, such as microtia.
8. DIY rocket engines: Competitions have been held for an open source 3D
printed rocket engine which can carry nano-satellites into space.
9. 3D printing artery networks: University of Pennsylvania and MIT is using living
cells and sugar to produce artery networks for artificial tissues.
10. 3D printing prosthetics: Oxford Performance Materials are producing
prosthetics which, for example, have been used to replace parts of a persons
skull, complete with holes to allow growth of new cells and bone.
This blog was very useful for my research because it gave me an insight into the
myriad ways in which 3D printing is being used in science. It gave a brief overview of
the ten examples above. It is hard to see the negatives in some of these examples as
they are ground breaking in the science and medical fields. Although in the wrong
hands it could be argued that some of them could be used unethically.
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Reference 6
Lanier, J. (2011). You are not a Gadget. London: Penguin Books pp. 87-93
In this chapter, The City is Built to Music, Lanier discusses the fate of musicians
careers in the digital economy. He speaks of the fact that there was a belief that
something else would emerge for musicians, but after 15 years of waiting he believes
this may not happen. He wonders whether we are building the future for humans or
machines. He discusses the open culture movement which believed that culture
sharing for all will lead to new avenues, but there has been copyright issues and free
downloading has left musicians with very little income. He argues that this culture has
pushed prices downwards for artists and the only beneficiaries are companies such
as Amazon and Netflix, and the general public. However, unless the artists become
a joint force they will suffer financially in this world. He suggests that it was nave in
the past to assume that entrepreneurial spirit would prevail and that artists would get
profits from merchandise, live appearances and so on. This cannot possibly support
every small artist.
He would like to think that the new digital open culture has worked successfully for
some musicians and artists, so he searched out some positive stories. Unfortunately
he only finds a handful of success stories such as Radiohead; aggregates of
musicians who sell New Age music to, for example, yoga studios; and music used in
advertising and soundtracks. Other success stories on-line are the many people
who call themselves musicians, but may not be professionals, and the kids in a van
who can afford, because of their youth, to live a transient life with little money. He
finds this very discouraging and doesnt see much future for the professional
musician in the digital age.
Lanier argues that open culture most affects the middle classes. These are the
musicians, journalists, film-makers and artists who educate themselves and
contribute so much to the fabric of culture in society. I believe this chapter is
important in my research for 3D printing and also, as a designer and third level
teacher, because there are a lot of comparative similarities in the design world. The
3D printer and 3D scanner may effectively put the designer out of work, benefitting
only the aggregators, monitors of the machines and the general public.
I also see validity in Laniers argument that the journalist (or designer)s experience
and skills are undervalued. With the abundance of graphic design, web design and
interior design (e.g. kitchens) sites available, the educated and experienced
artist/designer becomes unnecessary in the eyes of the aggregators and general
public. This is the fear for those in my profession with the advent of technologies
such as 3D printing and scanning. Lanier has proven through his research on
professional musicians that success has not come the way of the majority since the
introduction of downloading on-line with I-Tunes began in the last 15 years.

Reference 7
Carr, N. (2008) Is Google Making Us Stupid? What the Internet is doing to our
brains? Retrieved on 14th February 2014 from www.theatlantic.com
In this article Carr assesses the effect the internet has on our brains, how it affects
our concentration, critical thinking and ability to reflect. He discusses his own lack of
concentration when reading on-line, drifting after only two to three pages of text, with
deep reading becoming a struggle. He argues against Clive Thompsons belief that
the internet acts as a memory trigger for our thought processes, believing that we
have a price to pay for this. He argues that this instant access to information is at the
detriment of our ability to concentrate and contemplate, noting that our brains may
have changed to allow us to skim information.
He gives examples of how malleable our brains are, adjusting constantly to adapt to
new technologies. These are, the introduction of a typewriter to Nietzsche, when his
vision was failing, made his writing more telegraphic. As German scholar Kittler said,
it changed his thoughts to puns and rhetoric to telegram style. Another example is
the way the clock has changed the way we structure our daily lives, ignoring our
senses. He argues that as our brains became like clockwork, in the software age
our brains are like computers.
Part of the article discussed Taylorism and how it was introduced into manufacturing
to produce the most efficient and profitable outcome by putting a system in place in
the factory setting. This is interesting for me because it is something we teach to 3 rd
year interior design and furniture students in DIT. It was also introduced into office
design in the early 1900s, for example the Larkin building by Frank Lloyd Wright
(1904), with a hierarchical structure and rigid linear layout, with little interior design or
attention to natural light. Carr argues that Google uses Taylorism to assess the
behavioural data it collects from its users, measuring and systemizing how the mind
works, in order to develop the perfect search engine. The irony of this today is that
Google has award winning interior designs in its buildings, which are the complete
opposite of the Taylorist philosophy. (See www.camenzindevolution.com) Are these
interior designs hiding the truth, making the staff work longer and harder for no extra
financial gains, in these fun working environments?
In the closing parts of the article Carr warns against being too negative about the
internet and refers to similar examples in history, such as the introduction of the
written word c.300BC and the printing press in the 15th century, where the positives
outweighed the negatives. However, he returns to his argument that the internet
promotes instantly available knowledge and content at the sacrifice of the
intellectual vibrations that deep reading on a printed page sets off in our brains. The
good thing about this article is that Carr has voiced these observations which so
many can relate to and it makes us more aware of the affect that technology is
having on our thought processes, whether positive or negative.

Reference 8
Thompson, C. (2013) Smarter Than You Think. How technology is changing our
minds for the better. London: William Collins. pp. 45-82
In this chapter, Public Thinking, Thompson discussed the fact one of the positive
things about the internet is the fact that many of us are writing much more than we
previously would. He gives evidence for this in various forms and also argues that
writing to an audience is very positive for our cognitive thinking. He also gives case
studies showing the benefits to society, socially and politically, which have come
about through online public forums.
He shows evidence that we are writing much more, using his mother as an example,
who states that even though she would write letters to family members it was only
about 3 to 4 times a year. Most people in the past wrote because they had to, for their
work, for example. Thompson gives case studies such as Kenyan Ory Okolloh who
blogged about the political corruption in her country. She also triggered a movement
to use Google Earth to photograph and post images of violence as they happened,
and this has taken off around the world in countries such as Haiti and Egypt, where
there is political and social unrest. He argues that writing to a public forum helps to
clarify our thinking. This means that we have to think about what we write and
formulate our thought process when others will view it, as opposed to verbal
communication which is spontaneous. Also, even a very small audience is all that is
required, or even if nobody reads our blog or thread there is always the fear that
someone will at some point in time.
He proceeds to give examples of similarities of thoughts or ideas throughout the
world and these occurrences in history. For example, the invention of the radio, or
penicillin, which were both discovered by different people, in different places, at
around the same time. This brings up the issue of copyright and sharing of ideas. If
we have an esoteric hobby we can find someone else in cyberspace with the same
interest. This can be a positive, but on the other hand, those who would like to share
knowledge and ideas fear they will be stolen. Therefore, it only works well for non profit organisations, amateurs and academics. Thompson looks at the disadvantage
of public forums, where some are bullied or discriminated against, and believes that it
is very difficult to police this. He believes that it is the responsibility of the editor or
blogger to control what is kept and what is deleted.
I chose this chapter to review because I think it gives a good contrast to Carrs focus
on reading on-line. On the contrary, Thompson advocates the huge increase in
writing by many people on-line. The writing may not always be quality, but it has to be
a positive when some would rarely write for leisure, or even work. He states that
literacy was always measured by assessing reading, not writing: consumption, not
production and suggests this needs to change.
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