Acquisition of a 3D Computer Reconstruction Center

该提案寻求资金在印第安纳大学-普渡大学印第安纳波利斯分校的理学院和医学院建立一个3D重建中心。该设施将提供三个主要功能：1)支持并扩展生物及解剖学系若干正在进行的研究计划；2)提供电脑工具，以加强教员之间的互动；3)允许印第安纳波利斯的研究人员与西雅图华盛顿大学的同事一起参与3D重建软件的开发和测试。生命科学领域的许多研究将受益于为其研究对象创建三维模型的能力。这些模型对于理解组成整体的各部分之间的相互关系是必要的。应用几何的数学是众所周知的，但是是计算密集型的。最新一代的微型计算机已经强大到足以处理这样的计算问题。我们小组正在寻找计算机硬件、软件和必要的外设来记录连续切片的图像，将这些图像输入计算机，将二维图像处理成三维模型，可以操作、解剖、探索并复制到纸上和幻灯片上。资助这个项目的好处是提高了各种调查的生产力，通过更好地展示研究成果和合作开发新算法来提高其他研究人员的理解，为生命科学提供更强大的软件。

This proposal seeks funds to develop a 3D Reconstruction Center in the School of Science and the School of Medicine at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. This facility will serve three primary functions: 1) support and extend several on- going research projects in the Department of Biology and Anatomy, 2) provide the computer tools through which interaction among faculty will be enhanced, and 3) allow the researchers in Indianapolis to participate in the developing and testing of 3D reconstruction software with their colleagues at the University of Washington in Seattle. Many investigations in the life sciences would benefit from the ability to create three dimensional models of their objects of study. These models are necessary for the understanding of the interrelationships among the parts which comprise the whole. The mathematics of applied geometry are well-known, but are computational intensive. The latest generation of microcomputers have become powerful enough to handle such computational problems. Our group is seeking the computer hardware, software, and necessary peripherals to record images of serial sections, enter those images into the computer, process the 2 dimensional images into 3 dimensional models that can be manipulated, dissected, explored and copied onto paper and slides. The benefits of funding this project are in an increase in productivity of a wide variety of investigations, enhanced understanding by other investigators through better presentation of research findings and cooperation in development of new algorithms to provides more powerful software for the life sciences.