Data from: PicoCam: High-resolution 3D imaging of live animals and preserved specimens
Data files
Aug 12, 2024 version files 13.67 MB
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PicoCam_measurements.csv
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PicoCam_models.zip
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README.md
Abstract
The PicoCam system is a multi-camera photogrammetry rig used for generating high-resolution 3D models of animals in the field, or preserved specimens in laboratory or museum settings. The digital measurement of 3D models is increasingly useful for studying body shape. However, methods that capture sub-millimetric detail often do so at the cost of portability and versatility; this system aims to bridge this gap. The PicoCam system employs 3D digital photogrammetry, a process that generates accurate, full-color, 3D models from sequences of photographs. By using six cameras and a rotating base, the system is able to capture multiple angles in rapid succession – a key advantage for both 3D-imaging live specimens and efficiently scanning museum specimens. Through the use of macro lenses and high-resolution camera sensors, this system can capture sub-millimetric detail without sacrificing portability. In this study, we 3D imaged the bills of 19 species of hummingbirds using the PicoCam system and measured the length, height, width, surface area, and volume of their bills. We examined eight species in the field and 11 from the Burke Museum in Seattle. We chose Hummingbird bills as a model system, as their fine-scale interspecific differences in 3D shape can have significant functional and behavioral implications, and could tell us more about how these traits predict habitat and resource use. The prospect of a common 3D-imaging method for both museum and field use is compelling when documenting structures’ shape within and among species. The PicoCam system is also valuable for quantifying the 3D shape of fine-scale phenotypes (like hummingbird bills) that benefit from digital measurement, preservation, and improved accessibility. Lastly, the PicoCam system allows “digital 3D collection”, by which the shape of biological structures in the field can be recorded and stored in a public database without the need to collect a specimen. This opens the door to studies in which multiple 3D image captures of the same individual across different time scales permit 3D shape/color comparisons (e.g., seasonal, ontogenetic changes).
README: PicoCam
We submitted our raw data (PicoCam_measurements.csv), as well as our 3D models in .OBJ format used to collect the data (PicoCam_models.zip).
Descriptions
PicoCam_measurements
- Species: species scanned to produce the 3D model
- Dataset: whether the scan was generated from live animals in the field, or a museum specimen
- Length: length of the bill in mm
- Width: width of the base of the bill in mm
- Height: height of the base of the bill in mm
- Volume: volume of the bill in cubic mm
- SA: surface area of the bill in square mm
PicoCam_models
PicoCam_models.zip contains 3D models for 19 species of hummingbirds assembled in a combined .OBJ format. The 3D models were arranged in Blender (Version 4.1), which can also be used to view, measure, and export the individual models.