3D Printing to Illustrate Agricultural Potential of Farmlands

3D Printing to Illustrate Agricultural Potential of Farmlands

The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia has moved on next step with 3D printing of farmlands for clear illustration of agricultural potential of lands. The 3D printing is also useful to understand the terrain profile for better irrigation modeling.

Nick Wright with 3D modelling of soil profile with 3D plastic printer.  Credit: Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

Nick Wright with 3D modelling of soil profile with 3D plastic printer.
Credit: Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 

Research Officer Mr. Nick Wright, Department of Agriculture and Food have combined his knowledge of hydrology and digital technology to model 3D print of remote areas of the west Kimberley.

The 3D model depicts of the top three hydro-geological layers of the earth’s surface of the La Grange groundwater allocation area, south of Broome.

Mr. Wright’s work is a part of the La Grange Agricultural Opportunities project, supported by  Royalties for Regions, to expand irrigated agricultural production in the Kimberley.

Mr. Wright’s 3D printed model has four layers which cost him just $40, not including the cost of the $2000 machine.

Mr. Wright uses SRTM data for topographical 3D modeling (red color), groundwater monitoring data was used to represent the fresh water aquifers (blue color)  white layer shows the underlying impenetrable Jarlemai Siltstone, compiled from an aerial electromagnetic survey completed by the department in 2013.

The dark blue layer represents the ocean, which sits on top of another segment that shows the geology saturated with ocean water. This layer penetrates underground for about 10 kilometres inland, affecting the saline content of groundwater along the coast.

The top red layer of the model also includes 27 raised dots to pin-point proposed groundwater monitoring bores.

Mr Wright said:

“Satellite imagery in conjunction with basic groundwater simulations were also used in a novel approach to identify 114 ground water dependent ecosystems across the area that provide additional data points to increase the accuracy of the groundwater model,” he said.

Mr Wright said that with innovative thinking, 3D printing could be applied in a myriad of ways across the department.

“After a thorough online search we were unable to find any hydrological applications of 3D printing so we really started from scratch in developing this approach,” he said.

“There are a lot of directions that you could take this technology. Once people learn what is possible with 3D printing it will become more useful in a range of areas.”

Categories: GIS

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