Sophia Kildee
Research Mentor: Brett Meyer
Mentor Department: Department of Anthropology, LSA
Author(s): Sophia Kildee, Brett Meyer
Session: Session 3 (11:00 AM – 11:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 80
Abstract
Photogrammetry, the process of creating 3D models using photographs, has diverse applications, including studying animal bones at archaeological sites. However, photographing animal bones can be challenging due to their featureless surfaces and small size for some animals. The ability to capture sharp, high-quality images is vital for documentation and analysis; without high quality images, researchers are not able to produce the high-fidelity models necessary for research purposes. This project compares two different methods, traditional photogrammetry and focus stacking, to determine which method produces the sharpest images and most accurate models of animal bones. Traditional photogrammetry involves taking multiple photographs at multiple angles and heights which are then stitched together using specialized software. While traditional photogrammetry is effective when capturing the shape and detail of larger bones, problems arise when trying to capture details and high-quality images on smaller bones. Focus stacking, on the other hand, combines multiple photographs taken at different focal distances into a single composite image, which results in higher resolution images of small bones. Preliminary results demonstrate that focus stacking improves overall image quality for small bones and produces higher quality models in comparison to traditional photogrammetry methods, especially when assessing minute landmarks on the bone surface.
