Frugal 3D scanning using smartphones provides an accessible framework for capturing the external ear

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Digital Health

Background:

• Traditional methods for capturing patient anatomy for prosthetics are invasive and time-consuming.
• Existing 3D scanning technologies are often expensive, limiting clinical translation.
• There is a need for cost-effective and accessible digital solutions for anatomical capture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a low-cost 3D scanning framework for clinical use.
• To assess the accuracy and reliability of smartphone-based photogrammetry for external ear scanning.
• To evaluate the usability of this method for novice operators.

Main Methods:

• Utilized photogrammetry with a smartphone camera to create 3D scans of healthy adult ears.
• Recruited five novice operators who received brief instruction.
• Compared smartphone scans against a gold-standard reference scanner for accuracy and completeness.

Main Results:

• Smartphone photogrammetry achieved an accuracy of (1.5 ± 0.4) mm and 71% ± 14% completeness.
• No significant difference in scan quality was observed between novice operators.
• Moderate to strong interrater reliability indicated repeatable scan capture.

Conclusions:

• Smartphone-based photogrammetry provides a non-invasive, inexpensive, and accessible method for capturing ear morphology.
• This approach has significant potential for personalized ear prostheses and clinical assessment.
• Inexperienced operators can be rapidly trained to perform accurate and reliable 3D ear scans.