Proposals

Abstract

This proposal seeks to use Student Technology Fee funding to build two novel, multi-camera, small-object 3D surface reconstruction systems for student use in museum (first system) and outside the museum (second, more portable system) research. Such systems would be capable of rendering high resolution 3D images with surface and color details (macro-photogrammetry) through a single-capture procedure. This will present significant advantages over current imaging systems that require either time-intensive collection processes (i.e., rotation, mechanical focus stacking, working with immobile objects) or sacrificing resolution and image quality. The system will be developed with student input and using existing 3D photogrammetry practices for imaging larger objects. It will not only allow high-throughput, low-cost 3D image reconstruction of inanimate objects, such as museum specimens, but also from living organisms in the field by maintaining the simplicity of a single trigger. This will allow it to be approachable by users with a great breadth of experience, and therefore will have broad applicability to a diversity of student-led projects. This proposal is being submitted from Burke Ornithology and Mammalogy.