High precision animal stereotaxis with 3D polychromic photogrammetry

Stereotaxic brain surgery is a foundational neurosurgical technique used to deliver chemical, pharmacological, or genetic material to specific brain regions, or to precisely implant electrodes and stimulators. Accurate targeting depends on reliable identification of skull landmarks, particularly bregma and lambda. Here we present a photogrammetry-based automated small animal stereotaxic platform that uses a single, freely handheld camera, such as a standard smartphone, to generate high-resolution, polychromatic 3D skull reconstructions. Because photogrammetry requires no fixed overhead hardware, the surgical field remains fully accessible for instruments, microscopes, and other equipment. The resulting color reconstructions substantially improve identification of bregma and lambda compared to monochromatic approaches, and the higher spatial resolution translates directly into improved targeting accuracy and surgical speed. The system operates by a user moving a handheld camera around the exposed skull. The platform automatically produces a detailed 3D mesh and computes stereotaxic coordinates without manual measurement. Together, these properties yield a practical, accessible yet accurate platform for automated small animal neurosurgery. We previously described a structured illumination approach in combination with a Steward platform; however, that system required a fixed projector and camera array that occupied critical surgical workspace and produced monochromatic meshes that complicated landmark identification. The photogrammetry-based method described here overcomes both limitations while retaining full compatibility with the Steward platform as a stereotaxic base.