3D Printed Street Crossings for

Orientation & Mobility Training:

A Guide for Production and Use

Foreword
We are pleased to share our 3D models of street crossings for use as tactual models to
support orientation and mobility (O&M) training for people who are blind or have low vision.
The materials are available as free downloads that you are welcome to print or modify for
your own specific needs. They can be used for teaching the basics (the most important
features for navigating street corners and their relative positions, common intersection types,
aligning at a pedestrian ramp) through to more complex concepts (the specific features of a
selected intersection being learned, traffic movement, road rules and perspective). They
have been designed to be small, lightweight and durable enough to be used on the go, they
are tactually distinct for touch reading, and they look professional for use with adults while
being appealing for play-based learning with children.

The 3D models were developed in response to interviews with 11 O&M professionals across
Australia who revealed that concept development and map-reading skills are important first
steps towards O&M skills and independence. They were using a wide variety of tactile
materials to help teach concepts of street crossings but none of the materials met all of their
needs. Based on their suggestions, we created a range of materials that were tested and
refined according to further feedback from O&Ms and touch readers.

This document provides the essential information to get you started with obtaining and using
the 3D printed street crossing materials. It describes the materials; explains where you can
get them printed or how to print your own; gives guidance on how to modify the materials for
your regional needs; and provides a range of activities using the materials to teach O&M
concepts.

This work was made possible with thanks to the project “Investigating 3D printing for access
to graphics by people who are blind or have low vision”, funded by the Australian Research
Council and conducted by Monash University in partnership with:
● Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities, Inc., with
additional support from the South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment (SPEVI)
and VisAbility
● Guide Dogs Victoria
● The Department of Education and Training, Victoria
● NextSense
● Royal Society for the Blind, South Australia

Special thanks are extended to the O&M specialists and touch readers who made this work
possible.

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Contents
Foreword 2
Contents 3
Part One: The Materials 4
Street Corners 4
Frame 5
Accessories 6
Traffic islands 6
Figures and vehicles 7
Traffic signals and street furniture 7
Buildings 7
DIY 8
Part Two: 3D Printing 9
What is 3D Printing? 9
Where Can I Find the 3D Models? 9
Who Can Print the 3D Models for Me? 9
How Can I Print the 3D Models Myself? 10
Cost 10
Printers 10
Filament 10
Inserting Magnets 10
Print Settings 10
Post-Processing 11
Part Three: Modifying the 3D models 12
Part Four: O&M Activities using Street Corners 13

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Part One: The Materials

Street Corners
A range of different corner pieces are available so that they can be combined to create either
standard intersection layout or to represent a particular intersection that is being taught.
Each corner piece should be printed with a footprint of 12.5cm2 (125mm per side).

Most corner pieces include the following features:

● Road. This is the lowest surface (1.5mm high) and is flat without any camber. We
recommend that the road be printed in black. Note that centre lines are not given,
however the join between two pieces at the centre of the road is tactually distinct.
● Pedestrian crossing lines. These are 1mm wide, curved and raised 0.5mm from
the road. They are connected to pram ramps. We suggest adding a contrasting
colour (white or yellow) to the tops of the pedestrian crossing lines after printing.
● Ground. This is raised 3.5mm higher than the road, to demonstrate gutters and the
concept of stepping down to the road. We suggest changing the filament to a
contrasting colour for the ground surface.
● Pram ramp, also known as curb cut, curb ramp, depressed curb, dropped kerb or
kerb ramp. Ramps connect with pedestrian crossing lines and may be on the left, on
the right, or in the centre of a corner.
● Grass on the nature strip/verge. This is a textured surface beside the road.
● Fence or building line. This is raised 8.5mm from the ground. It provides an
indication of a shoreline to assist with orientation.
● Footpath. This is represented as a non-textured surface between the grass and the
fence or building line.

The main features on a street corner piece

There are three main types of corner pieces:

1. Corners. A minimum of 4 corners are required to create a cross intersection.
Available with sharp (square) or soft (rounded, with radius of 18mm) corners and 2

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 perpendicular pram ramps; one perpendicular ramp on the left or the right; one large
pram ramp leading to the centre of the intersection; or no pram ramps.
2. Straight. A minimum of 2 straight pieces are required to create a T-intersection or Y-
intersection. Available with one pram ramp on the left or right; with no pram ramps; or
with houses and driveways.
3. Angled. A minimum of 2 angled pieces (one on the left and one on the right) are
required to create a Y-intersection.

Traffic islands, including a roundabout centre, are available as accessories to further

customise the intersection.

If you require additional corners with different features, refer to Part Three: Modifying the 3D
Models.

Frame
We recommend using a frame to hold the street corners in place. The frame should enclose
a 25cm2 space where four street corners can be snugly placed to create an intersection of
your choice. You may also choose to create a larger frame (e.g. holding 2×3 corners) to
extend the streetscape.

A 3D printing file has not been supplied for the frame as it can easily be crafted using other
materials, such as:
● Cardboard
● Wood
● A magnetic white board, cut down to size.
● A large metal cooking tray, holding a frame

A cardboard frame, painted white for contrast.

Wooden frames are best for durability. A metallic base is helpful so that accessories with
magnets will not be knocked out of place when being explored by touch.

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 A wooden frame under construction.
Clamps hold the frame in place while the wood glue dries.
The base is made from MDF board with a magnetic sheet.

Accessories
A range of much smaller accessories are available to optionally add customisation,
complexity and interactivity to the models. We recommend using Blu-Tack or magnets to
keep the accessories in place while being explored by touch.

Some of the available accessories

Note: As these pieces are very small, children aged 5 years and under must be supervised
closely while using them.

Traffic islands
● Centre circle for roundabout

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 ● Triangular traffic island for slip lanes
● Long traffic island between lanes

Layout with roundabout centre and long traffic islands.

Figures and vehicles

● 3 types of figure, available with or without a 1.5mm hole to insert a wire cane, to be
secured with superglue. The figures have a small round base for stability.
○ Male with sunglasses. Print at 31.5mm height.
○ Female with bun. Print at 31.5mm height.
○ Child with peaked cap. Print at 23.75mm height.
● Car, with a long bonnet and a hatchback. Print at 31mm length.
● Police car with a light on top. Print at 32mm length.
● Bus, with a door and sunroof at the front. Print at 94mm length.
● Bicycle. Print on its side at 19mm length.

Traffic signals and street furniture

For strength and stability, the street signs have been designed as a base and separate
topper, to be connected using wire and superglue. The pole holes are 1.5mm in diameter.
● Street sign base
● Traffic light
● Stop sign with braille “S”
● Triangular sign with braille “G” for give way or “Y” for yield
● Traffic cones / pylons / witches hats / safety cones / construction cones

Buildings
● House - plain, with striped roof, or with chimney
● School, with braille label on one wall.
● Shop, with braille label on the roof. This should be printed on its side with the awning
on the side.
● Christian church
● Mosque, with domed roof and turrets
● Supermarket, with a door but no windows
● Multi-storey office block

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 A selection of buildings that can be placed on the crossings
as landmarks or for role-play games

DIY
You may also wish to use your own accessories, for example:
● Lego figurines, street signs and custom-built buildings
● Wooden blocks for buildings
● Let children create their own figures and accessories using polymer clay or air-drying
clay

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Part Two: 3D Printing

What is 3D Printing?
3D printing is a new maker technology suited for prototyping and small scale production.

Where Can I Find the 3D Models?

All of the models are available for free download as .stl files from Thingiverse at
www.thingiverse.com/leonah/collections/street-crossings. Simply select the models that you
want, download the .stl files, and then send them to a 3D printing service or print them for
yourself.

Who Can Print the 3D Models for Me?

In Australia, NextSense is able to produce 3D printed materials for people who are blind or
have low vision. For pricing and timelines, please contact their Client Care team via
hello@nextsense.org.au or phone 1300 581 391.

In the USA, See3D offers a volunteer-led service printing 3D models for use by people who
are blind or have low vision.

There are also many commercial 3D printing services. 3DHubs gives online access to
commercial 3D printing services in your local area.

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How Can I Print the 3D Models Myself?

Cost
A reasonable quality 3D printer costs around AUD$1,500 and filament costs around AUD$40
per kilogram, so that 3D printing for yourself is equivalent in cost to production of swell paper
diagrams in terms of both equipment and consumables. You will, however, need a staff
member who is willing to problem-solve when technical problems arise.

Printers
The most common 3D printers use an additive process known as FDM, whereby the plastic
filament is melted and printed in one thin layer at a time, building upwards. This type of
printer is sufficient and suitable for printing the 3D street crossing materials. Models will be
lightweight because the centre is not solid. We would recommend well-known brands so that
parts and assistance are easy to obtain. Prusa is highly recommended and is especially
good in terms of accessibility for users who are blind or have low vision.

Filament
The most common materials used for FDM printing are ABS and PLA. ABS is the plastic
used in Lego - it is very strong and has a high melting point but it is not environmentally
friendly. It is slightly more prone to errors during printing. PLA is made from corn by-products
so it is much more environmentally friendly but it has a lower melting point and can warp in
hot water or a hot car. Both ABS and PLA can easily be wiped clean.

Inserting Magnets
You may want to add magnets to some of your accessories so that they stick to the street
crossings when placed on a metallic base. Neodymium/rare earth magnets are the strongest
so they can be smaller. Ceramic or ferrite magnets are common and cheap but not as
strong, so a larger magnet is required. Test the magnet on your street crossing and base
first to make sure that it is strong enough.

Because magnets come in so many different shapes and sizes, we have not included
spaces for magnets in the 3D models. Instead, you will need to customise the hole for
yourself. Simply import the model into your preferred 3D modelling software then add a hole
of the correct size and shape, leaving a 1mm gap on each side of the magnet. If you want to
enclose the magnet entirely, lift the hole 1mm from the base and pause the print when it
reaches the top of the hole so that you can insert the magnet. Be sure to use some
superglue so that the magnet does not lift up onto the print head!

Print Settings
Your 3D Printer will come with its own Slicer Software, which allows you to set your printing
preferences. There are also a number of Open Source programs that you may prefer. For
example, Octoprint can be used with most 3D printers and is excellent for operators who are
blind or have low vision because it can be used as a slicer; to monitor, start, pause and stop
prints; and to control other printer functions such as temperature, changing filaments,
levelling the bed, etc.

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Positioning: All of the street crossing materials have been designed to print upright except
for the street signs with braille, which should be printed standing on their sides for smoother
braille dots.

Adhesion: We recommend using a “skirt” (a thin layer around the edge of the print) to
prevent the thin road corners from lifting during printing. This can be specified in your Slicer
settings.

Colour: You may wish to change the filament midway through printing so that the road is a
contrasting colour to the remainder of the print. This can be achieved on a standard single-
nozzle printer simply by pausing the print and changing the filament. If using Cura as your
slicer software, this can be pre-set using the “pause at height” feature under the Extensions
menu. Select “Post Processing” then “Modify G-Code”, “Add Script”, “Pause at Height” and
specify a height of 2mm (for the top of the pedestrian crossing lines).

Post-Processing
As the materials will be used by touch readers, it is very important that they be checked for
any sharp points or edges. If you used a skirt while printing, run a craft knife along the edges
to make sure none of the skirt remains. Use a metal file and/or sandpaper to smooth any
other sharp points that you find.

You will also need to file the joints of the intersection puzzle pieces until there is a smooth fit.

You may wish to paint some sections of the print for visual contrast. For large areas such as
the road, we recommend using spray paint with a stencil. For smaller areas such as white for
the pedestrian crossing lines or on top of the grass, we recommend using paint pens as they
are quick, mess-free and durable. Permanent markers should be used only for the indented
roads on the intersection puzzle pieces, as the ink can run.

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