THE MICROSOFT KINECT AS A LOW-COST RECORDER OF 3-DIMENSIONAL KARST MORPHOLOGIES

Measuring 3-dimensional morphologies has become a integral tool for field analyses. 3-dimensional measurements are necessary for complete feature characterization. Iterative scans of the same morphological feature can be used to create a more complete view of its spatiotemporal evolution. Classic measurement methods in karst systems are capable of providing accurate line plots of cave environments. While adaquate for navigation and basic scientific analyses, the data sets produced by these methods are typically too sparse for more in-depth analyses. Further, some data are too time prohibitive to obtain by hand, for example, high resolution quantitative models of karst morphologies. Alleviating these shortcomings, modern 3D imaging technology is capable of producing dense representations of karst morphologies which can be quantitatively analyzed and reconstructed into 3D models. However, most 3D imaging devices have been too large, expensive, and cumbersome for practical use in caves. Recent software developments have adapted the $100 hand-held Microsoft Kinect device for use as a 3D imaging system, yielding a cheap 3D scanning platform with approximately 1mm resolution.

By coupling open-source 3D scanning software with the Microsoft Kinect we are able to collect and analyze 3D scans of surface features in karst systems. We are specifically using these collected 3D surfaces to investigate the physical processes influencing their morphogenesis and morphological evolution.