Laser sizing

Shared by Ksso on February 11, 2011 in Sea Life



Classic conversation after a dive :
Diver1 : Have you seen the grouper - it was huuuuge ! almost 2 meters long ! (note : that's unlikely ). Check out the pic I took !
Diver2 : Bull***** - You kiddin', that's more like 20cm tops...

Now, there's a real point in that conversation : evaluating the proper size of something underwater wether it's a fish, a wreck or a cave, is quite complicated. And the pictures taken do miss scale to enable proper evaluation of the subject size.
Working with the University of Queensland, the Marine Megafauna Foundation and CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, a team of researchers led by Chris Rohner has come up with a new technique to add a scale to underwater pictures and enable proper size evaluation.
The innovation is actually a child's play, 2 laser beams are mounted on the camera housing, 50cm apart one from another and perfectly aligned. The laser beams form 2 dots ont the subject thus providing a scale to enable a precise measure.

This technique  will enable the scientists for instance to easily track the growth of whale sharks over time - whale sharks can be easily identified on a picture thanks to the pattern of spots on their back.

About the author:

#
  • us Ksso

  • # CMAS 3* VDST / N4
  • Qualifications:

    PADI Ice Diver, CMAS Nitrox 1, Photography

  • Dived in: French Polynesia, Honduras, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, United States, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Thailand, Greece, Cyprus, France, Indonesia

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