Sphaeroptica Press Release. PLOS One 23-10-2024.
Introducing Sphaeroptica:
|
| https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311887 |
|
Brussels, Belgium – [23-10-2024] – A new software tool, Sphaeroptica, is set to "revolutionize" the digitization and analysis of arthropods in natural history collections. Developed by a team of scientists - from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, the Royal Museum for Central Africa, the Catholique University of Louvain and the School of Engineering and Management of Vaud - Sphaeroptica provides a breakthrough solution for visualizing high-resolution, pseudo-3D images of delicate arthropod specimens, while allowing precise measurements and landmarking. Arthropods, which comprise the majority of zoological collections, have long presented challenges for accurate 3D digitization due to their small size, complex structures, and fine details such as scales, setae, and thin wings. Current 3D imaging technologies like micro-CT (µCT) or structured light scanning often struggle to render these features and can be prohibitively expensive. Sphaeroptica changes that.
A. Surface model derived from MicroCT (very good shape but not coloured texture); B. Surface model acquired with ArtecMicro Structured ligth scanner (good shape but average coloured texture and missing details); C. Surface model derived from a sphere of images (average shape and good coloured texture with missing details and transformed texture); D. Sphaeroptica as a pseudo 3D viewer of a sphere of images (no surface model but 3D landmarks and excellent orginal coloured texture with all details visible).
The software visualizes a "sphere" of images, capturing arthropods from multiple angles in high-resolution. This allows researchers to visualize specimens in intricate detail and perform precise 3D measurements. Comparative studies have shown that Sphaeroptica achieves an accuracy of less than 1% deviation from µCT models, a widely accepted gold standard. Moreover, the software is compatible with several imaging setups (Scant, Disc3D), making it accessible and adaptable for a range of scientific needs. By offering a cost-effective and highly detailed visualization method, Sphaeroptica ensures that even the most complex and fragile specimens can be accurately documented, measured, and shared with researchers worldwide. Unlike traditional photogrammetry techniques, Sphaeroptica retains the native detail of the specimen without creating complex 3D meshes. This leads to more accurate representations of intricate features like antennae and translucent materials, which are often lost in standard 3D digitization methods.
In 3D, landmarks can be directly positioned on the 3D models. In Sphaeroptica, landmarks must be positioned on a minimum of 2 pictures to be triangulated to the rest of the pictures and produce XYZ coordinates allowing to measure a distance between two 3D landmarks.
Sphaeroptica 1.0 is an open-source software, making it readily available for use by researchers and institutions looking to digitize their collections for preservation, analysis, or educational purposes. With increasing global attention on biodiversity loss, tools like Sphaeroptica are crucial in enhancing our understanding of the natural world. This research was achieved in the framework of Yann Pollet’s master thesis at the University of Louvain-la-Neuve, under the supervision of Sébastien Jodogne. A new version of Sphaeroptica (2.0) is under developement as a web application and will be available in Q1 2025. The article in PLOS One :
1 Scientific Service of Heritage, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium The code of Sphaeroptica is available on Github at the following address: The manual of the Sphaeroptica application with example materials is available at the following address:
|
