Turning Nature Into a Digital Domain

Museums worldwide are spending millions to digitize their collections. And the Berlin Museum of Natural History is undertaking one of the most ambitious efforts, using 3S imaging to create so-called type specimens.

Their challenge is that the insects are very small and hard to capture on camera. With that being said they have to start by taking various images to stack and then take those images in different positions. Now to put this all into perspective each insect requires 3,000-5,000 images. And in the end after all is said and done the completed project is one regular focus image.

But the process doesn’t just end there. These researchers try to gather as much data about the insects as possible for example, where the insect was found, what time, and all that. With larger amounts of information, they can then do models of distribution.

As their collection is continuing to grow at a rapid pace they are hoping to keep expanding and gather as much information as possible to help with new discoveries. It’s fascinating to see all the work that goes into these projects and defiantly worth checking out. For more details be sure to check out the video above.