• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Electrical Engineering News and Products

Electronics Engineering Resources, Articles, Forums, Tear Down Videos and Technical Electronics How-To's

  • Products / Components
    • Analog ICs
    • Connectors
    • Microcontrollers
    • Power Electronics
    • Sensors
    • Test and Measurement
    • Wire / Cable
  • Applications
    • Automotive/Transportation
    • Industrial
    • IoT
    • Medical
    • Telecommunications
    • Wearables
    • Wireless
  • Resources
    • DesignFast
    • Digital Issues
    • Engineering Week
    • Oscilloscope Product Finder
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • White Papers
    • Women in Engineering
  • Videos
    • Teschler’s Teardown Videos
    • EE Videos and Interviews
  • Learning Center
    • EE Classrooms
    • Design Guides
      • WiFi & the IOT Design Guide
      • Microcontrollers Design Guide
      • State of the Art Inductors Design Guide
    • FAQs
    • Ebooks / Tech Tips
  • EE Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online.com
  • 5G

Kinect System Scans 5-Foot-Long T. Rex Skull To Solve Ancient Mystery

July 5, 2017 By Jennifer DeLaOsa

In order to explain strange holes in the jawbone of a coveted Tyrannosaurus rex skull, nicknamed Sue, a team of forensic dentists last year received approval to conduct 3D scans.

When the researchers applied their high-resolution dental scanners to the massive five-foot-long skull, they discovered the machines couldn’t handle the incredible size of the ancient beast. In need of an alternative solution, the team contacted the Camera Culture group at MIT’s Media Lab.

Camera Culture researchers recently developed a prototype system that produces high-resolution 3D scans. However, even this experimental design wasn’t up for the task. To upgrade the prototype, the team used some free software and hardware totaling just $150 to successfully scan the entire skull.

The low-cost solution centers around a Microsoft Kinect, which is a depth-sensing camera primarily used for video games. The software within the Kinect produces a 3D map of coordinates known as a point cloud. Each point reflects short bursts of infrared light back to a sensor. The team then used free software, called MeshLab, to examine the point cloud data.

“A lot of people will be able to start using this,” says Anshuman Das, a Camera Culture group research scientist. “That’s the message I want to send out to people who would generally be cut off from using technology—for example, paleontologists or museums that are on a very tight budget. There are so many other fields that could benefit from this.”

When the skull was scanned, the camera was mounted on a chest harness. Due to the area where the skull was located, numerous obstacles made finding a path at a fixed distance difficult. However, once a safe route was established, it took only two minutes to compete the scan.

Utilizing the Microsoft Kinect information, a team of people, including veterinarians, paleontologists, anthropologists, and dentists, are currently analyzing the mysterious holes in the T. rex jaw. Discovered in 1990, the T. rex remains are the biggest and most complete record ever found.

The entire Media Lab report detailing the Kinect-sensor system can be found in the latest issue of the journal PLOS One.

DesignFast Banner version: 03ee18d1

Filed Under: Components

Primary Sidebar

EE Training Center Classrooms

EE Classrooms

Featured Resources

  • EE World Online Learning Center
  • CUI Devices – CUI Insights Blog
  • EE Classroom: Power Delivery
  • EE Classroom: Building Automation
  • EE Classroom: Aerospace & Defense
  • EE Classroom: Grid Infrastructure
Search Millions of Parts from Thousands of Suppliers.

Search Now!
design fast globle

R&D World Podcasts

R&D 100 Episode 7
See More >

Current Digital Issue

Our second 5G Handbook is now available

Featuring 15 articles, the 2022 5G Handbook looks at private networks, timing, connectivity, latency, mmWaves, test, and other topics.

Digital Edition Back Issues

Sponsored Content

Positioning in 5G NR – A look at the technology and related test aspects

Radar, NFC, UV Sensors, and Weather Kits are Some of the New RAKwireless Products for IoT

5G Connectors: Enabling the global 5G vision

Control EMI with I-PEX ZenShield™ Connectors

Speed-up time-to-tapeout with the Aprisa digital place-and-route system and Solido Characterization Suite

Siemens Analogue IC Design Simulation Flow

More Sponsored Content >>

RSS Current EDABoard.com discussions

  • Reducing switching noise in MOSFET inverter
  • LLC HB with synchronous rectifiers can be very dodgy?
  • ADS Cascode Power Amplifier Loadpull Problem
  • building lm2596 dc dc using Arduino uno
  • HFSS simulation problem

RSS Current Electro-Tech-Online.com Discussions

  • Where is the fuse ?
  • Capacitor to eliminate speaker hum
  • Test lead management ideas ?
  • PC/laptop working and processing so much harder on low quality connection
  • undefined reference header file in proteus

Oscilloscopes Product Finder

Footer

EE World Online

EE WORLD ONLINE NETWORK

  • 5G Technology World
  • Analog IC Tips
  • Battery Power Tips
  • Connector Tips
  • DesignFast
  • EDABoard Forums
  • Electro-Tech-Online Forums
  • Engineer's Garage
  • Microcontroller Tips
  • Power Electronic Tips
  • Sensor Tips
  • Test and Measurement Tips
  • Wire & Cable Tips

EE WORLD ONLINE

  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Lee's teardown videos
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
  • About Us
Follow us on TwitterAdd us on FacebookConnect with us on LinkedIn Follow us on YouTube Add us on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy