America’s Next Top Model: 3D Modeling for Museums and AI

Blair Mirka, PhD Student

Geography
Mentor: Christopher Lipptt

Natural history museums and biorepositories contain massive amounts of biological information through the collection and storage of information-rich specimens, which, when analyzed as a collection, can provide insight into the past, present, and future of biodiversity and ecology.

Many institutions are embracing digitization methods to enhance the durability and accessibility of these invaluable resources. Photogrammetry-based 3D modeling stands out as a promising approach, allowing for the faithful preservation of an object’s shape, texture, and color without requiring specialized equipment.

Once created, these high-fidelity 3D models can serve many purposes, including creating immersive online archives and exhibits, fabricating tactile exhibits for museums through 3D printing, and generating synthetic training data for AI-driven automated identification systems.