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Caroline Karbowski is a senior in high school with a passion for 3D imaging that led her to a 2nd place finish in the Tech Olympics. Her project is called See3D, which creates 3D images for the blind to feel and understand more clearly the shape and construct of something they never could have conceived without the added information the 3D image offered.
Caroline somehow had a passion for Braille and taught herself so she could read in the car without getting dizzy, and later she came up with See3D and although this may seem like a natural progression, Caroline is not Blind, nor visually impaired.
Caroline has pursued her passion and is now taking SEE3D to another level and bringing more opportunities for others to get involved in the See3D project. And you can too! Go to her web site at
www.See3D.org and find out more and how you can request a model or how you can become part of the See3D providers.
I really enjoyed talking to Caroline and hearing her passion for what she is doing so I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I did interviewing Caroline.
Be sure to check out her web page and give her some feedback on her See3D project on the web at www.See3D.org
You can find her article on the American foundation for the Blind web site at www.AFB.org
A BIG Thank you to CheeChau for your wonderful music!
See complete transcript below.
Thank you for listening!
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Transcription:
See3D – Understanding Through 3D Imagery: Meet Caroline Karbowski
Caroline Karbowski:
I asked her “What was a castle to you, before you felt the model?” and she said, “castle was just a word.”
Didn’t it mean really much. I decided that I need to do more models, because we need to make things more than just words.
I would really like to increase science education for the blind make it more accessible.
And even DNA that was a highly requested model, so you could feel the structure and also how the DNA can replicate.
How they could feel that.
Jeff Thompson:
Blind Abilities presents Caroline Karbowski.
Caroline Karbowski:
When I was in sixth grade I had an hour of free time, and so I thought I would learn Braille.
Jeff:
Understanding more from 3D models.
On the web at See3D.org
Caroline Karbowski:
When I go to the schools and I give objects to students who are blind, and I see how excited they are to feel what a snowflake is.
And have them understand concepts that they’ve heard about but never been able to understand.
I really want to help more students learn, and give them the models;
and so just seeing the impact that it has encourages me just to keep going.
Jeff:
Welcome to Blind Abilities I’m Jeff Thompson.
Caroline Karbowski is a senior in high school.
In sixth grade she taught herself Braille.
In the 11th grade she entered the Tech Olympics;
with a project that was geared towards providing 3D imagery for the blind.
It’s called See3D.
S-E-E 3-D.
Now Caroline Karbowski he is not blind, nor visually impaired.
She’s fully sighted.
This is an initiative that she took on because she felt there was a need for it something she wanted to do.
Let me introduce you to Caroline Karbowski.
How are you doing Caroline?
Caroline Karbowski:
I’m doing well, Thank You!
Jeff:
Caroline, I really want to thank you for taking the time out of your day, to come onto blind abilities and share your story about See3D.
Caroline:
Yes! I have been 3D printing models, and giving them to people who are blind, to allow them to understand their world better.
Jeff:
And this started out as a project for your Tech Olympics in high school.
Caroline:
Yes, tech Olympics is the largest technology competition for high school students, in the world, and our school goes every year.
And I wanted to submit a project to improve our school, so we could have something to compete.
And I read about how 3D imaging could be used to help the blind; so I printed some models at school, took them to some schools for the blind, and met with some people in Cincinnati who were blind.
And tested the models, asked what they thought about them, and worked on an idea of:
We could have multiple students in Cincinnati, from many different schools, 3D print models and then mail them.
To be a large community.
So not just me printing but having school kids at other schools print models, and then we could create this program, and we took that to Tech Olympics where it plays second and we’ve been going on from there.
Jeff:
So Caroline, can you tell us how this got started?
What gave you the idea to do something of this nature?
Caroline:
When I went to Xavier University for a college visit, I saw Cassandra Jones there, who was blind, and I told her about my idea.
And how I wanted to submit this for a project; and asked her if she had any models that she would want.
And she said she would like a Disney Castle Mickey Mouse.
I found a model online for a castle, and printed it off, and met her.
And it was the first model that we did for See3D and she loved being able to feel the shape.
And I asked her “What was a castle to you, before you felt the model?”
And she said, “castle was just a word.”
Jeff:
Just a word.
Caroline:
Just a word.
And it didn’t it mean really much.
From then on, I decided that I need to do more models, because we need to make things more than just words.
Jeff:
And that’s a great point.
I was reading some of your articles and it’s interesting to see what some of the people have requested.
Like the butterfly.
Caroline: Right
Jeff:
And you mentioned something that really caught my attention: STEM.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Caroline.
Yes! I would really like to increase science education for the blind make it more accessible.
I’m really into science, and so I’ve been working making cell models; and then the organelles inside like a chloroplast.
And even plants and trees I know one person requested for a tree, because she only knows them by the size of the trunk.
And has a hard time understanding what the branches and the leaves look like.
And I’d love to do and even DNA.
That was a highly requested model so you could feel the structure, and also how DNA can replicate how they could feel that.
And since science has a lot of pictures, but you look in a textbook you’d have to be able to feel the object in order to understand it.
It would be nice to make the graphics and text books tactile.
So that way when students who are blind are learning alongside their sighted peers, they can have equal access to the images that are in their textbook.
Jeff:
You make a very good point.
Learning right alongside their sighted peers.
Now Caroline we’ve been talking about 3D printing.
Can you tell our listeners a little bit what is 3D imaging?
Caroline:
Okay a 3D printer is similar to a hot glue gun.
It’s not as much of a printer that you put paper in, instead you put filament in; which is kind of like spaghetti.
And it’s wound in a spool, like a large spool of yarn or thread and you put a piece of it inside the printer, where it heats up like the hot glue gun, and it melts the filament.
Because the film is plastic.
And then the top the extruder where the filament is, where it’s hot, goes down to the build plate, and starts to extract a small amount.
And it moves around on the build plate, and adds layer by layer, going around and around; for a few hours depending on how large your object is.
And it will move up, and eventually it keeps adding layer by layer.
You finish your object
Jeff:
Caroline I know 3D printing has been around for a little bit, but it’s changing now; because schools, and even people are acquiring them for their homes.
How did you gain an interest in 3D printing, and gain access to a 3D printer?
Caroline:
I’ve read about how 3D printing could be used for the blind when making microscope and telescope images.
And then I had some 3D printers at school, and so I was able to find some objects online and download them to my printers, at school.
Jeff:
When we’re talking about affordability, considering the 3D printers that you’re familiar with; what kind of price range are we talking?
Caroline:
Some printers like Polar 3D are fairly inexpensive, epending on where you get them.
So some are thousands of dollars, maybe $2,500; Polar 3D is $900 but they have discounts for schools.
There are printers under $500, or so, that you could get. And each filament roll is about $25.
So it’s much easier for an institution to obtain a printer, but you can, but you might pay about $500.
Which is still expensive.
Jeff:
And a lot less expensive than it was a year ago.
Caroline:
Right, and the price goes down every day.
Jeff:
Caroline, how did you get yourself familiar with the other blind schools, for getting feedback?
Caroline:
Basically, when I go on college visits, I would see well what schools for the blind are nearby, and call them up and explain what the project is, and if they would like to collaborate so I’d visit.
And talk with the teachers, and any of the students, and bring models.
And it was great because I could ask the students if they preferred things about the models; like the size, or if they could feel different structures, or if it was too small or not.
And so I was able to find out what models were the best.
Now I have those schools to fun like I give them models; they will email me, and I can send the models now.
Jeff:
And get instantaneous feedback.
Caroline:
Yes.
Jeff:
well that’s great that you’re really reaching out, doing your research, and finding out information getting feedback.
How is the response been has that collaborations been beginning to grow?
Caroline:
Yes.
I would say I’m able to find other schools, and let them know about 3D printing.
Sometimes they didn’t know that this,they need to heard about 3D printing,
but didn’t know it could be used for the blind. And never really thought of that idea.
And I’ve been going to meet with other high school students.
I’m currently with another high school, in Cincinnati, where we have students they are learning about how 3D printing could be used.
Getting them involved.
And I’m now talking with two other middle schools, who are wanting to help.
It’s basically just word of mouth.
If I can tell one school about this idea, and have them print some objects, the students there will be more aware about blindness, and Braille.
I’m hoping to provide them with materials to create Braille so they can add labels to the objects, and get those students interested, who will in then turn be inspired to help the blind and work with them in the future.
Jeff:
Can you give Haley a big shout out?
And tell our listeners who Haley is.
Caroline:
Haley Thurston is the daughter of a teacher at my school.
And so, when I was starting this project I met with her mom, Mrs. Thurston, and asked what Haley would like.
And it’s really fun because Haley is my age, and so I’ve been able to print her, she wanted to Hedgehog and dog.
Cell models, constellations, and I’ve been really collaborating with her a lot.
She even let me borrow her Brailler, so I could make labels and letters a lot easier, than using a slate.
She’s been so helpful for this project, just because she will check all of my models to see what they feel like, and if she can understand them.
Because sometimes an object will look good on a printer, but when it becomes time to print it and you feel it, it looks better than it feels.
And so she’s been able to give me that feedback, and even connect me with people, and letting me use her Apex Brailler, see how that machine works.
And it’s been just really cool be able to collaborate with her.
Jeff:
The 3D printing was not your first indulgence into something related to blindness.
Can you tell us about how you started with Braille?
Caroline:
When I was in sixth grade, I had an hour of free time, and so I thought I would learn Braille.
So I learned the alphabet.
And I was really just wanting a way to read books in the car, without becoming dizzy.
So I thought if I learned the alphabet: then I could read Braille.
Well there’s contractions.
And so when I got my Braille book I couldn’t read it, because all I knew was the alphabet.
And so I mainly just had a slate and wrote things in the alphabet and would read it.
But I wasn’t that motivated, because there really was no purpose for me to know Braille, besides reading books in the car.
And I would have to do so much more work to learn the contractions, to read real Braille, so I kind of didn’t do much with it for a while.
And so, last year when I wanted to do 3D printing,
I needed to be able to write things.
To Haley, to add labels to my Braille- labels to the models, write letters.
And so, I needed a better way, so Haley lent me her Brailler and so there I started learning contractions.
So I can write formal letters, write address labels for boxes.
And so now I know a fair amount of contraction, so I can somewhat read books now which is nice.
Jeff:
Well that’s really interesting.
In the sixth grade you found a purpose for Braille for your own use, and later on in life you found 3D imaging.
To create images for people to not have something be ‘just a word.’
As you mentioned with castle.
Is it just coincidence these two things happened?
Caroline:
Yes, I would say there’s a coincidence, because I just wanted something to do for an hour.
And I just kept the knowledge of the alphabet in my head thought about “well maybe will be useful someday..” And it has!
Jeff:
Well that’s awesome that it has and you’re doing a great job.
Where do you envision your project See3D to be in a year from now?
Caroline:
I see this as a collaborative effort between many people.
So our website adds a login part soon, which will be happening probably this weekend.
People who are blind will be able to make a request for a model.
And this includes TVI, and parents of blind children.
So anyone can make a request.
And then students from any high school, or people who have a 3D printer at home, could then go on the website, and see what objects have been requested.
And then click and say that they will print that object.
And then we will be able to mail them to the person who is blind, using free matter; and eventually this will be something that anyone can do.
Instead of me having to go through email, print the object myself, and mail it.
People from all over the world will be able to say “I will print this object!” and mail it, and I won’t have to be involved as much.
It will be so large that it will be mainly run through our website.
We could have models shipped internationally, we could have models shipped to people in Guatemala.
We’re currently hoping to send things to ëFamilias Especiales,í In Guatemala; which is an organization that helps children with special needs.
And Mrs. Thurston and Hayley work well with that organization. And they have students who are blind there, so we’re hoping to send models to them.
We can maybe send them a 3D printer.
I hope that at schools for the blind, or schools that just happen to have many blind students like a mainstream school, would be able to have 3D printers; where the students who are sighted at the school could make objects for their blind peers.
So that way it’s fostering more relationships between the students.
Hopefully would encourage kids to make friends with the blind students and print objects for them, and really get people talking about how great this project could be.
Jeff:
That sounds really great.
And you’ve done such a fabulous job on putting this all together.
So congratulations on your success.
Caroline:
Thank you.
Jeff:
Can you tell our listeners how they can find out more about the See3D project?
Caroline:
They can go to See3D.org; which is S-E-E, the number three, letter D dot org.
And our email is there, and it’s info@See3D.org
And if you like a model: you can send your request [to] that email, and then currently now, I’m sending that to other schools to print the objects. Where we then mail it.
But soon, you can just go to the website, login using Google email, and fill out a request form there.
And the requests will be handled through the website.
[dog barks]
Jeff:
Caroline I have to say I’m really excited about See3D, your initiative, your project from the Tech Olympics; that you’ve built it up and brought it to the where it is today.
And you’re working with it expanding it and getting others involved, so they too had the opportunity to contribute to such a great project.
And most of all, that it comes from a passion within you.
Caroline:
When I go to the schools and I give objects to students who are blind, and I see how excited they are to feel what a snowflake is.
[Music fades in]
And have them understand concepts that they’ve heard about but never been able to understand.
I really want to help more students learn, and give them the models; and so just seeing the impact that it has encourages me just to keep going.
Jeff:
Well great I really hope you do keep going.
So is there any other message that we’d like to leave our listeners with?
Caroline:
I would say think about what would you want to understand.
What’s something that you have always wanted to see?
What could be 3D printed?
And never think that “oh, this could not be printed.” It could be.
And so if there’s something you’d like to see, let us know.
And because there are people who love to design new things, you could design houses.
Do you know what your house looks like?
You could take a photo of it and design a model.
You can design theater sets.
The possibilities are endless.
So always think about what you would like to see, and we can see if it we’ll make it happen.
Jeff:
Thank you very much Caroline Karbowski, for coming on to Blind Abilities.
And share with our listeners about your passion, and your initiative, to bring more understanding to the blindness community.
About stuff that was once just words, and putting it in the palm of their hand.
So they can touch and feel and get more information more data from 3D printing.
And listeners, be sure to check out the show notes, where there’ll be links to the website; you can find out more about See3D.
So once again, thank you very much Caroline.
Caroline Karbowski:
Thank you very much, to you.
Jeff:
It’s such a pleasure to talk to Caroline Karbowski.
To know that someone is pursuing their passions, and making them come to fruition.
This project of hers it’s a very unselfish project and she’s doing it for all the right reasons.
So congratulations Caroline.
And thank you to AFB.org; American Foundation for the Blind.
For running the article on Caroline on their website.
That’s AFB.org.
And as always a big thank you goes out to Chee Chau, for his wonderful music in this production that’s lcheechau on Twitter.
This has been a Blind Abilities production.
Thanks for listening.
Hope you enjoyed, and until next time..
Bye bye.
[Music fades out]
[Transition sound]
-When we share
-What we see
-Through each other’s eyes,
[multiple voices in unison]
We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the reality of Blind Abilities.
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[Music ends]
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