IBM avatars to visualize and interact with medical records in 3D

IBM announced on 26 September 2007 the creation of the Anatomic and Symbolic Mapper Engine (ASME), a prototype software that allows medical doctors to visualize medical records as a 3D avatar and to interact with it. The system enables intuitive anatomical queries for a specific patient, with e.g. zooming used to narrow the query space. Possible results include related text records, results of laboratory analyses or medical images such as radiographs. One IBM Researcher compared the service to Google Earth, which is currently dedicated to geographical and astronomical data.

Using advanced machine learning and state-of-the-art 3-D modeling techniques, the IBM researchers are working to overcome key technical challenges including integrating heterogeneous data sources and complex text-based information—so-called unstructured data—and linking that data to the anatomical model in a meaningful and easy-to-navigate way. ASME also uses SNOMED, the systemized nomenclature of medicine that encompasses approximately 300,000 medical terms, to create a bridge between graphical concepts and text documents...
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デバイスアート CRESTシンポジウム (Device Art CREST symposium) held in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan)

In the frame of 戦略的創造研究推進事業 (CREST) programs, a 1H30 symposium entitled デバイスアート CRESTシンポジウム (Device Art CREST symposium) took place at 秋葉原ＵＤＸ (Akihabara UDX) in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan) the 18th of May 2007. It highlighted interactions and collaborations between artists and researchers.

The device art, art based on devices, is defined by three characteristics: (1) the body of the device is itself-part of-the content, (2) the device is playful, and (3) its aesthetics establishes a bridge between cultures of the past and of the future. Three main threads were followed during the presentations, each indicating the role of research in the development of this new form of art: the creation of interactive gadgets, the creation of functional modules reusable by artists, and techniques/methods of evaluation to foster dissemination among the young and older general public. The three threads are strongly related to three research fields in which Japan is a world leader: virtual reality, robotics, and ubiquitous systems (e.g. wearable computers, intelligent environments).

The main participants were: 稲見昌彦 (INAMI Masahiko) from 電気通信大学 (The university of electro-communications), 児玉幸子 (KODAMA Sachiko) from 電気通信大学 (The university of electro-communications), 土佐信道 (TOSA Nobumichi) from 明和電機 (Maywa Denki), クワクボリョウタ (KUWAKUBO Ryota), 矢野博明 (YANO Hiroaki) from 筑波大学 (University of Tsukuba), 八谷和彦 (HACHIYA Kazuhiko) from ペットワークス (PetWORKs), 前田太郎 (MAEDA Taro) from 大阪大学 (Osaka university), and 草原真知子 (KUSAHARA Machiko) from 早稲田大学 (Waseda university).

Note: The device art has already been introduced in France and in the United States of America. It has notably been the focus of a session at the conference of Laval Virtual (Laval, France) in 2006; devices such as the robots of 稲見昌彦 (INAMI Masahiko) have also been demonstrated there.