Development and Application of a Low-Cost Laser Line-Based 3D Scanner for Digitizing Biology Educational Tools in Secondary Schools

This study presents a low-cost laser line-based 3D scanning system tailored for digitizing biological and educational tools in secondary schools, addressing the dual challenges of high equipment costs and limited accessibility of physical specimens. The proposed system integrates a structured laser emitter, monocular camera, and motion guide, utilizing optical triangulation and optimized algorithms to achieve cost-effective 3D reconstruction. Key innovations include an improved Steger algorithm for laser stripe extraction, enhanced by adaptive brightness thresholding, connected-region analysis, and noise suppression to address redundant point generation in biological microstructure reconstruction. Experimental validation demonstrated sub-millimeter accuracy in reconstructing crucian carp specimens, successfully capturing critical morphological features like lateral line systems. The system’s cheap hardware configuration and high computational efficiency make it particularly suitable for resource-constrained educational settings. This solution bridges the gap between the preservation challenges of physical specimens and the demand for interactive digital resources in biology education, enabling high-fidelity 3D visualization of anatomical structures while maintaining ethical and budgetary constraints.