A low-data, low-cost, and open-source workflow for 3D printing lithographs for digital accessibility of microscopy images

TL;DR

This paper introduces a cost-effective, open-source workflow for creating tactile lithograph prints of microscopy images using low-data 3D printing, enhancing accessibility for visually impaired individuals.

Contribution

It presents a novel, low-cost, and open-source method for producing tactile lithographs from microscopy images suitable for 3D printing.

Findings

Lithographs can be printed on a $350 3D printer at a cost of $0.75 per print.

The workflow uses lithograph files under 100 MB, making it accessible and low-cost.

The method enables tactile exploration of complex biological structures.

Abstract

Describe an animal without using the verb look. Can you effectively provide an alternative method for interpreting complex microscopy images while preserving the length scale? The world is filled with features too small for our eyes to see: the setae on a gecko's feet, the cuticles covering a rat's whisker, or the fuzziness of a bat's wing. Furthermore, these structures are non-homogeneous, often shifting from stiff to soft. We provide a workflow for producing low-data, low-cost, and open-source lithograph files, allowing tactile accessibility in microscopy images. The lithographs made with this workflow can be printed on a 350 USD 3D printer using 3D files under 100 Mb, for a total cost per print of 0.75 USD. This work seeks to leverage advanced 3D printing to create tactile graphics and art that make science more accessible and enable tactile exploration of biological structures. This framework in this text is aligned with a GitHub repository that will be constantly updated, allowing tactile media to be created as 3D printing and lithography become more streamlined in the years to come.