Developed by researchers at Gifu University in Japan, this new medical teaching tool projects a virtual anatomical model onto a featureless mannequin letting students study the brain and nervous system. And while it’s less creepy than cutting open an actual body, it’s certain to fuel a few terrible nightmares.
Virtual human bodies are nothing new, and they’ve been used as teaching aids for years now. What sets this system apart is how it interactively lets the virtual body be studied from any angle. Using a handheld viewer that tells the system where and what someone is looking at, the virtual model is automatically warped and deformed so that it never looks distorted from the student’s view.
This produces a sophisticated 3D effect, which in turn makes it easier for a student to understand the intricacies and layout of the human body. Even if it means looking at a face full of exposed muscles and nerves.
