How do you 3D scan a living, breathing horse? A subjectively strange question, but one our Innovation Lab was faced with when approached to help scan living horses for the new historical epic series “Those About to Die”, out today on Amazon Prime and Peacock. With such a huge task to fulfill, what is the best technology to achieve results? While scanning horses has already been done using various scanning technologies, we believe photogrammetry succeeded where others fall short, and we’ll show you why.

Previous Ventures in Horse Scanning

Horse scanning has been done before for various applications, using laser scanning technology with handheld scanners or smartphones with 3D scanning applications such as Smart 3D Scan. While this technology is effective in achieving accurate 3D data from stationary objects, they flounder when it comes to scanning living, moving beings, for one small but critical reason: the scan is not instantaneous. This is a well-known complication in 3D scanning. Any movement during a scan, no matter how slight, can produce an inaccurate point cloud, leading to a messy model. A scan with a handheld scanner will have to be paused and repeated multiple times before achieving results good enough to produce a clean result. A lot of post-processing is then needed to piece together the information for the model.

Photogrammetry, the technique of using multiple photographs to stitch together a 3D model, overcomes this challenge – when taking all photos at the exact same time, so it doesn’t matter if the animal moves, breathes, neighs or sways, the 3D data will be accurate, and the model is a complete digital replica of the animal at the point in time.

Our Horse Scanner

Our Innovation Lab was thrilled with this new challenge. The customer already owned a BOTSCAN NEO, our fullbody scanner, so the next steps became apparent very quickly. Our scanner was already fully capable of the task in terms of technology, with 160 perfectly synchronized high-resolution cameras attached to 12 poles, arranged in a circle to capture a person from all angles. With excellent innovative thinking, our team disassembled the 12 poles and spread them into an oval to accommodate a horse. Extended power cords were used to account for the extra distance, and support structures were added so each pole could stand independently.

Of course, as we were dealing with animals, the greatest care was taken to ensure the horses were as comfortable as possible. A separate entrance and exit were incorporated into the design, so the horse could walk in, be scanned, and walk out in one straight path, without having to turn around. The horses’ trainers walked in with the horse and stood in front of them, standing just outside the scanning range and keeping them calm. Other horses were also close by to help keep the scanned horse’s stress to a minimum, and each horse was only in the scanner for a few minutes.

This is where the biggest advantage of using our photogrammetry rig comes to play: one scan takes 0.1 seconds to capture the entire horse’s geometry and texture.

The first few scans were done to help the horse acclimatize to the flash that occurs when the scan takes place. After that, the horse was positioned correctly and multiple scans were taken. Later on, botspot’s Automation Suite was used to generate the 3D models within 5 minutes to be reviewed.

View one of the models generated, here:

Applications of 3D Scanning in the Equine Industry

While scanning a horse may seem like a very niche use case, there are, in fact, a lot of applications for this exact thing. Below are some of the main concepts:

Customized Gear

Well-fitting saddles are vital for good horse health. A well-fitted saddle ensures good physical and mental health for the horse . Having a measurement-accurate 3D model of the horse’s body means gear can be customized to the particular horse’s shape, guaranteeing a perfect fit. Regular scanning can also provide updated data on measurements so that equipment can be adjusted accordingly, as a horse’s body is always changing, gaining or losing weight and muscle.

Measurement of Muscle Mass, Body Volume and Hooves

Several studies have been conducted on the use of 3D scanning to document and analyze horses’ body volume and muscle mass . These measurements play a huge part in genetic breeding and health, especially in the racing industry. Unsurprisingly, clicking a button and instantly getting the entire measurement data of the horse’s body is much faster, more effective and less stressful for the animal than manually taking each body measurement with a ruler or flexicurve.

Film Industry

3D scanning allows filmmakers to create highly accurate models of horses, capturing every nuance of their anatomy and texture. These lifelike models can be seamlessly integrated into CGI scenes, providing filmmakers with a versatile and cost-effective solution for including dynamic, believable horses in their productions. Unlike traditional 3D modeling methods, which often rely on artists' interpretations and can miss subtle nuances, photogrammetry ensures that the resulting models are faithful replicas of the real-life horses. Additionally, this method significantly reduces the ethical concerns and logistical challenges of using live animals on set.

Veterinary Medicine

There is potential in this field to use 3D scanning for the identification and analysis of health issues, as well as custom orthoses and prostheses for horses.

Conclusion

This custom project showcased our ability to tackle unique and challenging tasks with precision and expertise. Our BOTSCAN NEO, and our team of experts, provided a flexible solution for our customers needs, and we look forward to taking on more exciting projects and delivering exceptional results.

And now? We plan to sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the show.

View the trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvf6IS48eik

References

1 The Importance of Saddle Fit for Horses: Ensuring Comfort and Performance

2 Valberg S, Matsui A, Firshman A, Bookbinder L, Katzman S, Finno C. (2020). 3 Dimensional photonic scans for measuring body volume and muscle mass in the standing horse. PLOS ONE. 15. e0229656. 10.1371/journal.pone.0229656.

3 Matsuura A, Dan M, Hirano A, Kiku Y, Torii S, Morita S. Body measurement of riding horses with a versatile tablet-type 3D scanning device. J Equine Sci. 2021;32(3):73-80. doi: 10.1294/jes.32.73. Epub 2021 Sep 6. PMID: 34539208; PMCID: PMC8437753.

4 Matsuura A, Torii S, Ojima Y, Kiku Y. 3D imaging and body measurement of riding horses using four scanners simultaneously, Journal of Equine Science, 2024, Volume 35, Issue 1, Pages 1-7, Released on J-STAGE March 19, 2024, Online ISSN 1347-7501, Print ISSN 1340-3516, https://doi.org/10.1294/jes.35.1, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jes/35/1/35_JES2311/_article/-char/en

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