Researchers from Germany’sKiel University(CAU) have developed low-cost 3D printed dome-shaped systems that optimize lighting for wildlife photography.
The modular illumination devices offer a cheaper, less complex alternative to existing lighting setups, while remaining capable of supporting scientific micro and macrophotography. Having made the STL files publicly available, the Kiel team’s system is also designed to be customized, allowing it to be tailored to the specimen being photographed.
The importance of photography lighting domes
Despite the increasing adoption of modern technologies such as micro-computed tomography (µCT), photography remains the optimal method of imaging biological objects. Taxonomy and morphology studies still rely on high-resolution photos of species’ in their habitat, as do natural history museums, which are increasingly turning to digitization.
高质量的图像在学术摄影中尤为重要，因为分辨率对于捕获关键特征，诊断性角色和详细的习惯观点至关重要。为了达到此类生物学研究所需的细节水平，适当的照明至关重要。需要高水平的扩散光来详细地拍摄显微镜结构，尤其是在使用更高的变焦时期时。
相比之下，不良照明会导致附近任何宏观结构的无意过度暴露。所谓的“硬照明”也会导致眩光和耀斑对图像的最终质量产生负面影响，并扭曲照片的物体的特征。以前的研究在University of California Riverside揭示了半球形圆顶在散射光中高效，并提供均匀的照明。
As light is emitted from the base of the dome, the photographed object is only illuminated by light scattered from the inner dome surface, leading to diffuse, soft illumination. Despite the benefits of dome-shaped systems, commercial devices can be very expensive, and if the object is too small, resolution can be suboptimal. Some animals are also considerably larger than existing dome-based systems, limiting their application in certain environments.
基尔大学3D打印照明系统
为了克服商业上可用的照明系统的规模和成本限制，研究人员转向融合沉积建模（FDM）3D打印。运行的FDM机器的运营费用较低，越来越多地导致其在实验室环境中的采用。使用CAD软件，也可以以可自定义和可扩展的方式生产对象，从而有可能根据其主题来量身定制圆顶几何形状。
与现有设备相比，利用3D打印Kiel团队制造了一个模块化的基于LED的圆顶。为了最大程度地提高光的产量，可以将可选的虹膜隔膜安装到系统中，其“滑动表”功能使目标对象可以重新排列到摄影师的需求。此外，与现有照明模型相比，仅通过使用3D打印来生产系统，它具有提高的质量，耐用性和可重复性。
Using a Prusa i3 MK3S 3D printer, and inexpensive white PLA filament, the researchers created domes in three different sizes. Testing the team’s lighting systems involved taking photographs of taxidermied insects that were borrowed from a local zoological museum. The embalmed insects were either pinned to a glass disk or attached to a petri dish if they were an underwater specimen.
Focus-stacked images were then taken of the same specimen in each of the domes, with either warm or neutral white LED strips used for comparison. For larger objects, an extension plate and light-shielding ring were placed on top of the dome table, enabling it to be adjusted for different-sized species. Overall, the team was able to capture high-resolution images of a wide variety of different specimens, featuring insects, mollusks, vertebrates, flowers, and fossils.
基尔的研究人员认为他们的领导系统be more durable and cost-effective than those produced in previous research, and that it could be capable of competing with commercial devices. By making their design as easily accessible as possible, the team also hopes that it will be adopted by students and smaller labs in the future, to help them take high-resolution images on a budget.
基尔研究人员在论文中说：“我们的圆顶代表了科学照明方法的重要改进，这大大提高了其对科学界的可及性。”“希望它将被证明是未来许多研究的有用工具。现在，预算低的学生，实验室和人员现在可以产生有意义且专业的图像，以最终与尖端实验室竞争。”
Lighting in the additive manufacturing industry
Although 3D printed electronics are still in their relative infancy, a number of researchers have experimented with creating devices that feature optimized lighting solutions.
纽约Lighting Research Center(LRC), and American power management company the伊顿公司, have developed afully 3D printed LED-integrated luminaire。总体项目，由U.S. Department of Energy, aims to develop the applications of additive manufacturing to create Solid-State Lighting (SSL).
The LRC also worked with private equity businessCARBON Group Globalto form a consortium that探索3D打印SSL产品的潜力。Featuring a number of key 3D printing stakeholders, the group is working to develop a roadmap for integrating additive manufacturing into key industries.
Nautical technology firmOceanLEDhas used 3D printing to fabricateprototype low-energy consumption lighting systemsfor high-end yachts. The rig illuminates the water around the bottom of the boat, creating an “aquarium effect” as fish are attracted to the light.
研究人员的发现在其论文中详细介绍了“Illuminating nature’s beauty: modular, scalable and low-cost LED dome illumination system using 3D-printing technology,” which was published in the Advanced Functional Materials journal. The report was co-authored by Fabian Bäumler, Alexander Koehnsen, Halvor T. Tramsen, Stanislav N. Gorb, and Sebastian Büsse.
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Featured image shows a lateral photo of the beetle Burprestidae took with lighting provided by the team’s dome. Image via the Scientific Reports journal.
