My light, mirror, tell me…
Researchers at the University of Paris-South have created an experimental digital "mirror", looking into which a person sees his body from the inside. The principle of operation of the mirror is that a person is undergoing positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and X-ray examination, which allows to obtain accurate images of bones and internal organs. When a person stands in front of the screen, the Microsoft Kinect motion detection camera tracks the movements of two dozen different joints, including knees, elbows and wrists. This allows the software to "animate" the image of internal organs and bones in real time.
A digital mirror allows you to see the internal organs.
In one experiment, the researchers took turns leaving 30 volunteers alone with a mirror for a few minutes and evaluating their reactions. In this case, people did not see images of their own body, but images of other people of the corresponding gender previously stored in the device's memory. At the same time, about a third of them felt discomfort and unwillingness for others to see the image in the mirror.
According to one of the developers, Xavier Maître, the purpose of creating this mirror was to study philosophical questions about the perception of a person's own body. In the future, they plan to make the digital image even more believable by adding the illusion of a heartbeat and lung movement to it.
At the same time, they believe that in the future doctors will be able to use similar systems to study a certain part of the patient's body or in preparation for surgical intervention.
Other research groups are already considering the possibility of using similar technologies in medicine. For example, a device developed by German scientists from the Technical University of Munich projects "layers" of medical images directly onto the human body. Another experimental project, recently announced at the conference of the American Society for Scientific Achievements in Chicago, allows you to animate images obtained using magnetic resonance therapy on a computer screen. Perhaps in the future, this program will allow doctors to identify body parts or organs that are the cause of the patient's problems.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of New Scientist:
Digital mirror reveals what lies under your skin.
18.04.2014