Scientists used accurately controlled soundwaves to suspend insect samples, capturing detailed photos from several angles without damaging the samples.
Macro photography of small samples is a regular part of scientific research. However, a specific approach to “posing” subjects using pins can damage sensitive samples and is not an option for the smallest samples.
Researchers at Institute for Automation and Applied Infamatics, Carlsuhe Institute of Technology; Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, Liboniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science; And Institute for Biology, Hambolt University Berlin used sound waves to remove these boundaries.
As Hackde NoteAcceptive length is not a novel itself. This method has been around the 20th century to suspend the light matter in the air using high intensity sound waves and is interested in scientists. However, the practical application of acoustic levity for something like scientific photography is new and attractive.
German researchers showed how acoustic levitation can work for insect samples and performed in an automatic, controlgic way for maneuver to catch specific images at pre-degraded angles. In addition, they can perform automatic performance Focus stacking On samples, because they are kept stable sufficient, and highly detailed photos with extended depth of the area are captured. It is also possible to transform this expander dataset into a highly detailed 3D model of samples without any risk of damaging hand on hands, manual image captures, or samples.
Insects are a particularly important subject of study in biodiversity research. As researchers say, insects contribute “more than 75% species-level biodiversity” and are important for the functions of the ecosystem. However, “a major obstacle to study insects” is that they are not easy to identify or study. Machine learning identity is making very little challenging, but these AI models require a lot of data to train. As described above, it is difficult, as described above to collect this detailed data about individual samples. Cost-effects, accessible and repeated imaging systems are important for collecting the required photos.
While the science of acoustic length is attractive, and detailed Complete research paperAt this point it is enough to say that it is possible to control the position of samples with sufficient stability and accuracy to catch a series of 40 photographs per sample place. While the team admits that all 40 shots were not required to achieve the desired depth of the field after focus stacking, it is not enough that too much images are not enough. He repeated this process for 72 different approaches by moving the sample while maintaining a stable camera. Focus stacking was done using helicon focus software, which was a popular choice for many macro photographers.
Talking about gear, researchers used one Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III camera Together M.Zuiko Digital Ed 90 mm F/3.5 Macro Lenses Plus a 2x teleconverter. Like Helicon focus, this camera and lens setup is popular among enthusiasts of macro photography.
Researchers writes, “Unlike other photogramatic imaging systems used in biodiversity research, the object is not manipulated using an insect pin or other physical attachment,” the researchers write. “This ensures that the sample is not physically damaged, and since the imaging is sufficiently accelerated than the previous systems, the samples do not dry up to the extent that they float on the ethanol after returning to a vial. This means that there is a facility to work on NDA (genome sequencing). Large insects can be done. The labor-intensive pinning process is avoided.
While the team accepts boundaries, including the acoustic area rotation is limited to the same axis and that a right 3D model has not yet been achieved, has significant ability to the approach.
“The proposed automatic imaging system provides a promising solution for close-range photogrammatory of small, light items. It is a non-destructive approach to multipers imaging and provides the basis for 3D reconstruction,” researchers have concluded.
Image Credit: ,Automatic photogramatric close-ranging imaging system using acoustic levitation for small wisdom‘Nathli Clug, Marcus Cremer, Fahri Majrek, Lorenz Wuharral, Hosin Shilal, Rudolf Meer, and Christian Pileyuk
