Duncan Irschick

Understanding the shape of living organisms is central to many aspects of ecology, evolution and functional morphology. Until recently, the techniques for correctly assessing form in 3D has eluded scientists, but with novel 3D photogrammetry and modelling techniques, it is now possible to reconstruct a wide range of living animals accurately.  The Digital Life Project has focused on creating accurate 3D models of a wide range of animals, with a focus on endangered species. Centered at the University of Massachusetts, this effort has successfully modeled over 100 species, which has generated over 200,000 downloads, and close to a million views. With these 3D models, we have been able to address many fascinating questions and ideas, such as how shape has evolved in the oceans and on land, and how we can estimate body condition in endangered megafauna. Our 3D models are also widely used by many scientists for a range of applications, from robotics to simulations of entanglement, among other examples.  Our work continues to expand by following new techniques in 3D modelling and reconstruction, as well as opportunity to work with new species.

Bio

Duncan J Irschick is an integrative biologist and innovator interested in the evolution and ecology of animal athletics, and how biological form informs synthetic design. His primary research interests have been gecko adhesion, 3D-imaging, animal movement, and bioinspiration.  He is a co-inventor of two technologies – Geckskin^TM, a bioinspired superadhesive, and Beastcam^TM, a portable multi-camera technology that can create high-resolution 3D models of living creatures.  He is also the co-founder and director of Digital Life (www.digitallife3d.org), a non-profit imitative to create and distribute high-resolution 3D models of life on earth, and the Center for Evolutionary Materials at UMASS Amherst.  Duncan has published 175 papers on animal function and evolution and has been a co-inventor on several patents.  He has received funding from NIH, NSF, and private foundations, and media attention from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNET.org, and CNN.  Irschick has been invited to 94 talks for Universities and organizations all over the world.  He has been a Keynote and plenary speaker for many different organizations and Universities.  In 2014 and 2016, he was honored with the Outstanding Research Award, the Chancellors Medal, and the Distinguished Faculty Lecture Award from the University of Massachusetts.