Virtual Reality

Photogrammetric Reconstruction

By taking 550 photos and using COLMAP software, I was able to get a 3D reconstruction of a toy lion I have. COLMAP analyzes photos and finds overlapping points between photos to reconstruct a scene. This video shows this reconstruction of a moment in time. Viewers with access to the glTF file and a VR headset will be able to move through this space. This technology was introduced to me by my professor Marc Downie, and we are now working together to be able to play successive reconstructions to produce a moving interactive scene. Because I do not have 550 cameras, I have decided that if I take hundreds of photos for every frame of stop motion viewers would be able to walk through and interact with my stop motion world. This photogrammetric stop motion will be uploaded on March 7, 2025.

360 Video

With viewers attention and screen area of focus in mind, I used a 360 camera to record various peculiar videos. These videos included dropping the camera -attached to a fishing pole- down a staircase, recording underwater, rigging the camera to my bike, and some fun with mirrors. Youtube has a 360 video function where viewers can scroll around the scene to explore all degrees of view, I recommend you give it a try with my short video below.

Photogrammetry at the Art Institute of Chicago

I used photogrammetry when on a visit to the Art Institue of Chicago to reconstruct the Lion statue outside and Giocametti’s Walking Man II.

Ethics and Debate

Photogrammetry definitely comes with some ethical questions of property rights and infringements. How are these reconstructions from photos different from photos and videos? The Vatican restricts camera usage in the Sistine Chapel, yet sells prints and access to a 3D reconstruction online. The Elgin Marbles have also been scanned and replicated using similar photogrammetric techniques, complicating this debate even more.