CT scan rendering of oak wood (Quercus robur) ~300 microns (0.3mm)

Tool: Houdini, Rendering and custom import tool for image stacks

Xylopedia App on Ipad & Web

The Xylopedia App is available as a download on the AppStore or you can use the web version on xylopedia.de

Parenchyma Cells of Oak Wood visualized

Based on CT-Scans from Hereon @DESY, we created an idealized representation of all the Parenchyma cells in a block of aprox. 2mm x 3mm x 3mm

CT scan rendering of spruce wood (pinus sylvestris) ~300 microns (0.3mm)

CT scan rendering of spruce wood (pinus sylvestris) ~300 microns (0.3mm)

Segmentation of Parenchyma Cells of Oak Wood

For our Visualization we segemented all the Ray Cells by Hand in Slicer3D

Xylopedia is an app for explorative learning of micro-anatomical wood structures.

Students at the University for Sustainable Development in Eberswalde, Germany, now have the app to help them understand the complex anatomy of wood. Based on microCT scans from the Helmholtz Centre Hereon, we created novel 3D models for real-time exploration.

Visit Xylopedia

Client:	HNE Eberswalde
Team:	S. Scherrer, J. Hammel, J. Lauströer, J. Stuhrmann, S. Lautner, M. Möhring
Tools:	Unity, Blender, Cinema 4D

Xylopedia

3D Learning App

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Porous Ceramic Material

arXiv:2409.00789 [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

Ceramic Material Close Up with Bacteria

arXiv:2409.00789 [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

Living porous ceramics for bacteria-regulated gas sensing and carbon capture

arXiv:2409.00789 [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

Three-dimensional printing of mycelium hydrogels into living complex materials

DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01429-5

Fungi Hyphen

Showing the basic functions of the hyphens

For papers and proposals by various research groups at the ETH, I have created illustrations showing the process of their experiments. Collaborating and accurately depicting these processes is always an interesting challenge and often creates an engaging dialogue between scientist and designer.

Client:	ETH - Complex Materials Group
Tools:	Houdini, Blender, Adobe Suite, Affinity Suite

Material Research

Scientific Illustration

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Snow Height SensorReveal Phenological Advance in Alpine Grasslands

Examplary plant growth at higher altitudes in the swiss alps.

Snow Height Sensors Reveal Phenological Advance in Alpine Grasslands

Examplary plant growth at higher altitudes in the swiss alps.

Ultrasonic Plant Height Masurement

Ultrasonic plant height measurements from 32 automatic weather stations from 1500 to 2700 m.

Ultrasonic Plant Height Masurement Close Up

Ultrasonic plant height measurements from 32 automatic weather stations from 1500 to 2700 m.

Alpine Plant Phenology Monitoring tracks 25 years of data on climate change effects on Alpine vegetation. Using ultrasonic measurements, this study shows increased plant growth and earlier growing seasons at higher elevations, highlighting elevation-dependent warming impacts.

Read the Paper

Client:	SLF, Michael Zehnder
Tools:	Houdini, Quixel Megascans, Blender, Affinity Suite, Photoshop
Citation:	Zehnder, M., Pfund, B., Alexander, J., Hille Ris Lambers, J., and Rixen, C.: Elevation-dependent advance of Alpine plant phenology, Abstract

Phenological Shift

Visual Abstract

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N64 Controller

Proceduraly generated Key Visual in Houdini, Octane & Blender

N64 Controller Close Up

Proceduraly generated Key Visual in Houdini, Octane & Blender

Game Design 101 Poster

Proceduraly generated Key Visual for an Event Series at the MEEETLab @UZH

Joystick Close Up

Proceduraly generated Key Visual in Houdini, Octane & Blender

Joystick

Proceduraly generated Key Visual in Houdini, Octane & Blender

Visual Identity created for the Events Series "Game Design 101" at the MEEET Lab of the University of Zurich. With a porcedrual system in Houdini that lets you create a fully art-directable growth animation, making it possible to have high-end visuals for a series of events.

MEEET Lab

Client:	MEEET Lab, University of Zurich
Tools:	Houdini, Octane, Blender, Davinci, Affinty Suite

Game Design 101

Motion Graphics

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Bark Beetles in Forestry: Ips typographus & Pityogenes chalcographus

The European Spruce Bark Beetle and Engraver Beetle are major pests in modern forestry, causing severe damage to spruce forests, especially with warming climates. Their impact underscores the need for effective forest management strategies.

Breeding Canal of European Spruce Bark Beelte

Illustration showing the breeding canal of the beetle.

European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus)

Poster lining out the most important signs.

Fir Tree (Picea abies)

The Picea abies is the tree suffering most, especially in the huge forest in eastern germany. Therefore a competent managment of the bark beetles is essentia.

Engraver Beelte ( Pityogenes chalcographus)

Poster showing the most important signs for spotting the engraver beetle.

The European Spruce Bark Beetle (Ips typographus) and the Engraver Beetle (Pityogenes chalcographus) are two of the most destructive pests in modern forestry. Their infestations cause extensive damage to spruce forests, particularly under warmer conditions that accelerate beetle populations. These outbreaks pose significant challenges for sustainable forest management and highlight the need for proactive pest control measures in the face of climate change. To educate foresters the LWF contacted me to create large posters to be used for workshops.

Borkenkaefer.org

Client:	Bayerischen Landesanstalt für Wald und Forstwirtschaft
Tools:	Adobe Photoshop, InDesgin, Illustrator

Bark Beetles

Information Poster

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Soft Wood Cell Structure: 300 microns

Fibre Cells showing the year ring, bordered pits and parenchyma cells

Wood Cell Structures

Different Structures and their real sizes; from year ring to cellulose molecule

Simplified Cell Wall Structure: 30 microns

Soft Wood Fibre Cell Wall Structure showing the different angles the Fibres are aligned in multiple Layers

Cellulose Microfibril: 15 nanometer

Abstract illustration showing a possbile arrangement of cellulose (blue) and lignin (pink) molecules

Soft Wood Cell Structure Close Up

The bordered pits also show the margo

Cellulose Microfibril Close Up

The lignin fibrils wrap around the cellulose fibrils, analogous to ferroconcrete

Stability, lightness, and durability make wood a natural miracle material. But where do these properties come from? They are made possible by the fascinating structures within the wood, which are explored in these illustrations.

Client:	ETH, Wood Materials Science
Tools:	ZBrush, Keyshot, Adobe Suite

Structure of Wood

Visualisations & 3D Prints

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Microbiome Close Up

Microbiome Close Up

Azospirillum, Arthrobacter & Rhizophagus

Soil microorganisms promote plant growth by producing growth-promoting hormones or by increasing the plant's tolerance to environmental stressors such as drought.

Entomopathogenic fungi & Bacillus thuringiensis

Soil microorganisms help the plant defending against pests by eliminating pests directly or by enhancing systemic plant defense mechanisms.

Microbiome: Engines of the Earth

icrobial key functions in the plant-soil system. Soil microorganisms play essential roles in climate regulation, nutrient cycling, plant growth promotion and abiotic stress tolerance, pest and disease control, and pollutant degradation. Visit: www.microbiome.ch

In partnership with the Sustainable Agroecosystems Group at ETH, we developed a visually captivating poster exploring the Soil Microbiome. Designed to balance scientific accuracy with visual appeal, this piece aims to make complex microbiological concepts accessible and engaging.
Guided by Martin Hartmann, the poster was crafted to resonate with a broad audience—from curious visitors at OLMA, where it was first showcased, to students at ETH.

For more in-depth information, please visit Hartmann’s page:
microbiome.ch

Client:	ETH, Sustainable Agroecosystems
Team:	M. Hartmann, A. Hofmann, J. Schlaepfer-Miller
Tools:	Photoshop, Indesign

Microbiome

Scientific Poster

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Gjermundbu Helmet

Gjermundbu Helmet from c. 900s

Gjermundbu Helmet Close Up

Gjermundbu Helmet from c. 900s, with some extra frost details made in Houdini

Gjermundbu Helmet Close Up

Gjermundbu Helmet from c. 900s, with some extra frost details made in Houdini

Gjermundbu Helmet Sketchfab Model

Model explorable on Sketchfab: https://skfb.ly/oSWJJ

For the Game Evening Events MEEET Lab I have the privilege to design Key Visuals. This is a Gjermundbu Helmet reconstruction based on Photos and 3D Scans.

Dating to the 10th century, the Helme helmet is a uniquely preserved Viking artifact of significant scientific importance for understanding early medieval warfare and society.

Sketchfab Model: Gjermundbu Helmet

Based on this Scan:	Gjermundbu Helmet 3D Viewer
And these Photos:	Helmet @UNIMUS Portalen
Credit:	University Museum of Norway, Archeology, C27317/khjelm
Tools:	Houdini, Substance Painter, Photoshop

Gjermundbu Helmet

3D Reconstruction

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AI Illustration

Animated part of the Infographic

Freedom Exhibit

Exhibit on the MS Wissenschaft

Freedom Word Cloud

Word Cloud showing associated words of "freedom"

History of the word "Freedom"

Poster describing the history of the word "Freedom" in its context

Freedom Infographic

Animated and Interactive Infographic

The Freiheit exhibit, part of the "Kontroverse Diskurse" project, was featured on the MS Wissenschaft in 2024, exploring the concept of freedom through political language. Visitors contributed personal associations, which were analyzed alongside data from 500,000 texts to showcase diverse interpretations of freedom.
I was responsible for the visual design of the exhibit, creating an engaging and accessible interface to connect visitors with the research.
Visit the Desktop Version: Freiheit

Developers:	Sonja Huber, Davide Ventre (Results Visualisation)
Project Coordinator:	Prof. Dr. Noah Bubenhofer, Davide Ventre
Tools:	Rive, Affinity Suite

Freedom

MS Wissenschaft Exhibit

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UB Jahresbericht 2024

Joshua Binswanger - Rhizome Visuals - Scientific Illustration

UB Jahresbericht 2024

Joshua Binswanger - Rhizome Visuals - Scientific Illustration

UB Jahresbericht 2024

Joshua Binswanger - Rhizome Visuals - Scientific Illustration

UB Jahresbericht 2024

Joshua Binswanger - Rhizome Visuals - Scientific Illustration

For the University Library Zurich we created an innovative annual report that consists of an animated "Wimmelbild". My responsibility was to create the Design and code the website.

UB Annual Report 2024

UB Annual Report 2023

Client:	University Library Zurich
Team:	Coordination & Redaktion: Ladina Tschander, Martina Kammermann & Sabine Klein Design:Joshua Binswanger Programming: Joshua Binswanger Videos:Martin Weiss
Tools:	Rive, HTML/CSS/JS, Affinity Suite

UB Annual Report

Animated Website

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