GeoSculpt

Data You Can Hold

A generative tool for translating global datasets into 3D-printed Earths.

THE SOLUTION

A web tool that turns data into 3D-printable, story-rich globes

A Web App

Drag-and-drop interface where users can upload datasets or grayscale images to map scalar data onto a global field.

3D Model Generator

Automatically translates data fields into mapped geometries on a globe or flat projection, exportable as STL or OBJ.

3D Print + Digital Asset Ready

Models can be used for fabrication or embedded into AR/VR and digital experiences.

3D globe output

WHY IT MATTERS | THE IMPACT

Data You Can Hold

Makes invisible systems visible

Enables deeper understanding of global dynamics like inequality, climate, or history, physically.

Empowers educators, designers, researchers

From classrooms to conferences, this tool bridges data with tangible impact.

First of many lenses

Our Colonial Impact Index is just the beginning. Imagine visualizing CO2 per capita, water scarcity, biodiversity, or internet access, physically and globally.

Topography globe model
Vegetation globe model

THE VISION

Imagine a world where datasets become sculptures of meaning.

A universal 3D data globe engine

A modular, generative system for transforming any global dataset into tangible, meaningful form.

Democratizing data physicalization

A tool where anyone can upload their dataset and create something printable, visual, and visceral.

From fields to futures

To reimagine data not just as information, but as form, bridging science, art, and storytelling.

THE WHY

Global data is too complex to stay two-dimensional.

  • Flat maps flatten meaning

    Traditional visualizations can't fully capture the complexity, relationships, and weight of global data across space and time.

  • We learn better through touch

    Physicalization of data creates deeper emotional, cognitive, and educational impact, especially for underrepresented or abstract datasets.

  • There's no open tool for this

    Designers, researchers, and educators currently lack an easy, accessible way to turn global datasets into 3D printable, manipulatable world models.

Colonial data globe

OUR PROCESS

From raw data to physical form

Topography data

Topography

Vegetation data

Vegetation

Air quality data

Air Quality

Colonial history data

Colonial History

Data workflow

Grasshopper workflow diagram 1

Creating height maps from image data using image sampling techniques

Grasshopper workflow diagram 2

Transforming flat earth meshes into spherical models with voxel representation

DATASETS

Reference Materials

The Colonial Impact Project utilizes the following datasets:

Global Colonial Heritage Index

A Nation-by-Nation Colonization Score

View Dataset

Colonial Footprints

A Global Ranking of Historical Colonizer Influence

View Dataset

These datasets form the foundation of our Colonial Impact visualization, allowing users to explore the historical legacy of colonization in a tangible, three-dimensional format. By transforming these data points into physical relief on our 3D globes, we make visible the often overlooked patterns of colonial influence across the world.