Inside Explorer Virtual Autopsy Table showcased at the BodyWorks exhibition at Glasgow Science Centre
Visitors to the Glasgow Science Centre can now perform their own virtual autopsy on the Inside Explorer Virtual Autopsy Table, one of the interactive exhibits being showcased as part of the Science Centre’s new £2 million exhibition BodyWorks, that opened on March 28th. The visualization system is developed by Interactive Institute Swedish ICT, Visualization Center C and CMIV, and this is the first permanent installation of an Inside Explorer Virtual Autopsy table in the UK.
The BodyWorks exhibition showcases cutting edge research and innovation in the health and wellbeing sector and is found on Floor 3 of Glasgow Science Centre, where it fills 700 square meters. BodyWorks offers interactive exhibits, research capsules and live laboratory experiences, which give the visitors the opportunity to practically explore the biomedical sciences in the 21st Century.
"We are really proud to have worked with the Glasgow Science Centre on the Bodyworks experience. It is amazing to see the levels of excitement and energy that it stimulates in visitors to the centre. This is the first permanent installation of an Inside Explorer Virtual Autopsy table in the UK. However we also see tremendous potential for this technology in not just understanding the human body but also for new applications such as exploring natural history artifacts and subjects from ancient cultures as well.", says David Hughes, Interactive Institute Swedish ICT.
Inside Explorer is a powerful visualization system that gives visitors to museums and science centers the chance to virtually interact with subjects that have been scanned using medical imaging systems such as Computer Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). A large interactive touch screen enables visitors to enlarge, rotate and virtually dissect different examples on the table and explore them in intricate detail.
Originally developed to support forensic autopsy work, the first prototype of the Virtual Autopsy Table was developed in 2009. Now universities and hospitals use it for educational purposes as well in preparation for performing physical autopsies.
Today, the visualization system has found a new user base by providing amazing visualization experiences to visitors at science centers and museums. Anything that can be scanned can also be visualized, explored and used as basis for an interactive visitor experience – from meteorites to ancient mummies. The system requires no training, and visitors can interact with it in seconds. More than 10 institutions are now actively involved worldwide in using Inside Explorer, including the British Museum, London’s Natural History Museum, the Singapore Science Centre, the Field Museum in Chicago, and the National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm.
CONTACT
Thomas Rydell, Studio Director, Interactive Institute Swedish ICT, +46 707 731709, thomas.rydell@tii.se
David Hughes, Solution Development Manager, Interactive Institute Swedish ICT, +44 7802 636304, david.hughes@tii.seIMAGES
http://www.flickr.com/photos/interactiveinstitute/sets/72157633253518596/
LINKS
Inside Explorer: http://www.tii.se/projects/insideexplorer
BodyWorks at Glasgow Science Centre: http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/bodyworks/exhibition.html
