Personalized 3D Avatars Help Plan Plastic Surgery

A new technology uses three dimensional (3D) laser scanners and photographs to create personalized 3D avatars with applications in fields such as plastic surgery and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Developed by researchers at the media unit at Tecnalia (Bizkaia, Spain), the technology is based on virtual modeling. Within the field of plastic and repair surgery, the surgeon is provided with an easy-to-use tool, which enables graphically representing the current state of the patient, as well as a 3D representation of his or her projected external aspect after the operation. In this way, the patient has a better idea of what the plastic surgeon can achieve, without creating illusions or raising false hopes that may lead to subsequent disappointment.

When dealing with AD, the aim is to use the 3D avatar as a responsible interface to give advice to users, subtly motivating and guiding them during interaction with a computer, thus providing rapid diagnosis on the advance of the disease and measuring how it affects the performance of cognitive exercises. By undertaking the daily monitoring and evaluation of the patient in a personalized manner, the avatar enables the patient to leave home without accompaniment (thus leading a normal pace of life) with total security, thanks to an accessory location device capable of detecting their position at any time.

An avatar is a graphical representation on a computer, generally in human form, which is associated with a specific user for identification purposes. Avatars can be photographs, art drawings, or any other suitable graphic image. Certain technologies enable their use in 3D.

Related Links:
Tecnalia