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Reporting to the Head of Biodiversity Informatics and Data Science of the Yale Peabody Museum, the Digital Imaging Specialist will assist in the research, development, application, and evaluation of innovative technologies for high-throughput scientific digitization of natural history specimens and cultural heritage artifacts. Principally, this work revolves around the development and validation of a robotic multi-view imaging system and automated pipelines for 3D reconstruction and data extraction from multi-view imagery. A primary outcome will evaluate this methodology within collections that have traditionally posed challenges to mass digitation such as entomology. The successful candidate should be comfortable handling biological specimens and museum objects, working with experimental hardware and software, interfacing with software developers, contributing innovative ideas to build upon research products and adapting to a diverse and evolving technological landscape.
Essential Duties
- Operates, evaluates and coordinates use of project-developed instrumentation for automated multi-view imaging
- Implements imaging and processing workflows for photogrammetry
- Evaluates results to determine scientific accuracy
- Evaluates new approaches to be used in image capture or 3D reconstruction that enhances results and/or throughput
- Organizes, manages, and preserves digital files, including raw data, metadata and derivatives
- May perform other duties as assigned
Required Education and Experience
Bachelor’s Degree in a natural history or museum informatics related field plus two years professional experience, gained through any combination of work history and graduate-level training.
Requirements
- Knowledge of basic principles of photogrammetry and familiarity with data standards and file formats for archiving and publishing 3D data.
- Proficient in the use of software tools for 3D reconstruction, post processing and analysis (e.g., Reality Capture, Meshroom/AliceVision, MeshLab, Blender, Cloud Compare).
- Ability to understand and write small scripts (e.g., in Python).
- Demonstrated ability to meet a high level of production on a daily basis and work in a fast-paced, multi-project and dynamic environment.
- Demonstrated ability to drive project completion on time and in a detailed manner, as well as self-motivation, intelligence and strong work ethic. Excellent organizational skills: accurate and thorough, as well as communication skills: listening, writing and verbal.
Preferred Education, Experience and Skills
Experience working in museum setting and handling preserved specimens (primarily pinned insects) and anthropological artifacts. Experience with small object photogrammetry (samples of work should be available).