Process of photogrammetry with use of custom made workstation as a method of digital recording of anatomical specimens for scientific and research purposes

Abstract

This work aims to use photogrammetry to prepare the base of anatomical specimens for teaching and research purposes. Photogrammetry consists in preparing a 3D model of an object with the use of a specially designed program, e.g. Meshroom, based on the photos of an object taken from various angles. To enhance the process of taking photos for 3D models, a workstation has been designed and developed. It consists of the frame with a slowly rotating specimen (360° per minute) attached. The object is photographed from each side and at various angles. In the next stage of processing the model, the photos are sent to a graphic designer who creates the first model and then the final one. The prepared 3D models are intended to be used for academic teaching and specialist training. They can also be used for further research, measurements or to plan surgical procedures. At the moment, the base prepared with this method contains the entire human skeleton, several joints, and parenchymal organs. It has been systematically expanded as the goal is to include all human organs grouped into systems.This article does not aim to describe the photogrammetry method itself as it has been already presented in details in other publications[1]. This research focuses on presenting one of the several available methods of obtaining images of objects prone to change their shapes and thus difficult to be captured in the photo taken from several angles. The method presented in this article uses a custom made workstation to ensure a stable environment and conditions for taking photos of rotating objects, which are described later in this article.