Summary on article "Print Your Hike! 3D Keepsakes Memorialize Mountain Conquests"

Hikers can now memorialize their impressive conquests in 3D-printed sculptures made from GPS tracks.

According to the online article “Print your hike! 3D keepsakes memorialize mountain conquest” by Denise Chow, Sci-Tech Editor, (24 March 2016, 3:36 p.m. ET), a computer science Ph.D. candidate named Oscar Ardaiz, based in Barcelona, Spain, started a project called Nice Trails to create models or “trophies” that feature GPS tracked hiking trails, cycling trails and or other mountainous routes in three dimension. Models include details such as lakes, snow covers, grasslands etc.

Ardaiz came about with the idea after he climbed Mount Rainier and was extremely proud and happy of his accomplishment, but according to Ardaiz, “the line on a map on my phone didn’t quite represent the awesomeness of the day spent conquering the top. I wanted to view my track in 3D, to see the crests and valleys that I crossed.”

To obtain one of these models a user can simply upload and save their GPS track to the projects website, allowing them to create a 3D replica of the path and surrounding terrains.

These models, according to Nice Trail, are made with a gypsum-based powder bound with adhesives, it can take about 2 weeks to produce each customized trophy and the prices vary based on the three available sizes.

Image of what the trophy looks like:

Reference:

http://www.livescience.com/54163-nice-trails-3d-printed-mountain-models.html