Gel tomography for 3D acquisition of plant root systems

Kevin N. Montgomery; Anthony Gerard Heyenga

doi:10.1117/12.302442

6 March 1998 Gel tomography for 3D acquisition of plant root systems

Kevin N. Montgomery, Anthony Gerard Heyenga

Proceedings Volume 3313, Three-Dimensional Image Capture and Applications; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.302442
Event: Photonics West '98 Electronic Imaging, 1998, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

A system for three-dimensional, non-destructive acquisition of the structure of plant root systems is described. The plants are grown in a transparent medium (a 'gel pack') and are then placed on a rotating stage. The stage is rotated in 5-degree increments while images are captured using either traditional photography or a CCD camera. The individual images are then used as input to a tomographic (backprojection) algorithm to recover the original volumetric data. This reconstructed volume is then used as input to a 3D-reconstruction system. The software performs segmentation and mesh generation to derive a tessellated mesh of the root structure. This mesh can then be visualized using computer graphics, or used to derive measurements of root thickness and length. For initial validation studies, a wire model of known length and gauge was used as a calibration sample. The use of the transparent gel- pack media, together with the gel tomography software, allows the plant biologist a method for non-destructive visualization and measurement of root structure that has previously been unattainable.

Citation Download Citation

Kevin N. Montgomery and Anthony Gerard Heyenga "Gel tomography for 3D acquisition of plant root systems", Proc. SPIE 3313, Three-Dimensional Image Capture and Applications, (6 March 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.302442

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