Data collection and annotation for 3D modeling in healthcare
One of our clients, who has developed the technology to make invisible braces and retainers, mainly for adults, tasked us to collect a large database of images of adult human jaws that they would use to train their AI to assist dentists. The goal was to have a diverse set of jaws across continents and ethnicities, with an equal number of men and women.
The goal of the project was to be able to create a variety of digital 3D models of jaws that would make it easier for technicians to show customers what they could do for them and what might be involved in straightening their teeth.
A little more to the left, now turn to the right
To meet the challenge for this client, we needed to:
Recruit people across the world willing to have their heads photographed
- 40% Caucasian
- 20% African
- 20% Indian
- 20% Asian
- Write up easy-to-understand instructions
- Get 7 images in total from each person
- Images at 45, 75, and 90 degree angles were needed from both the left and right sides
The ultimate headshot
Once we recruited all the people, we set out to make sure they knew to have someone take the pictures of them with the back camera on a smartphone, since that will give a higher resolution.
Once the first images started to come in, we discovered a new challenge we hadn’t considered: backgrounds. Too many images didn’t have clear backgrounds. We could see clutter in the background behind their heads. This proved to be one of the biggest issues with this project. That and making sure they used natural light to take the pictures, so details and angles were clearly visible.
We updated our instructions to emphasize:
- Make sure to use natural light
- Make sure there is no background clutter
With updated, more detailed instructions, we were able to collect the images our client needed.
Post-Processing
When it came time to annotate and tag the images, we had to make sure to tag the left and right sides correctly as well as the degrees the person’s head was turned. We made sure to check and double-check before we sent any information to the client.
A smile to be proud of
With all the images annotated and uploaded, the client was able to have their AI build realistic 3D models of jaws based on different facial structures and show a progression of how realignment of teeth would impact how their face and smile might look. Another job well done made us smile too.
Our Data Services
We specialize in collecting and preparing a wide range of data types essential for AI development, including text data for Natural Language Processing (NLP), speech and audio, image, video, and multimodal data that combines multiple formats.
Learn more about our services on our Data Services page.
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