Edible Dinosaur Tracks

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This simplified model is derived from an in-depth study of a fossilized dinosaur track unearthed at the Glen Rose digsite. A three-dimensional model of the track was crafted using Sugru, and its open-source equivalent Oogoo, to create stamps for imprinting dino tracks on paper as part of the SOLID Learning workshops' theme "Making Tracks". The form model is being utilized by several educators to mold Jell-O tracks (food-safe materials used for printing) for workshop lunches and to create hand-out cast track examples for kids to take home to their own classrooms. Dr. Louis Jacobs of SMU, along with Dr. James Brooks, have generously shared their original scan with the world, allowing this simplified model to be publicly shared here and in other FOSS repositories for educational purposes. I extend my gratitude to both gentlemen for their generosity in sharing this exemplary example of preservation and curation of delicate solid forms from a bygone era. The positive mold was reduced by 50% along its z-axis to minimize the volume of Sugru/Oogoo needed for each track. Conversely, the negative mold remains proportionate, allowing for more solid dough to be used in creating cookies and brownies, each bearing its own dinosaur track. One educator filled these tracks with icing, while others report that kids enjoy the crackling surface of the brownie just as much. It is essential to print using food-safe materials or seal the object thoroughly using food-safe varnishes or silicone molding agents rated for food use. Not a commercial endorsement, but I have successfully employed molding material from Reynolds Advanced Materials, designed for casting edible sugar forms, in the past to create food-safe molds from 3D printed objects.