The Science Museum is building a database of 3D face images for Great Ormond Street Hospital, as reported by the BBC .
Visit the Me in 3D space in the Science Museum on the first floor in the Wellcome Wing to have your 3D image taken.
This will help to build a database of images for Great Ormond Street Hospital and Eastman Dental Hospital and Institute to provide cranial reconstructive surgeons with more data on disfigurements.
Chris Abela, senior craniofacial fellow at Great Ormond Street Hospital, when interviewed by the BBC said “We know a lot about the bones in our faces but little is known about what makes our face the shape it is and about the skin and muscles that make up our face”. “By collecting as many 3D face photographs as we can we will have a greater understanding of our complex faces, and have greater knowledge to plan and perform the best facial surgery in the future.”
The data collected can then be used to form 3D face images before performing face reconstruction surgery for children suffering from Apert, Pfeiffer, or Crouzon syndromes and other skull deformation.
Me in 3D runs at the Science Museum until 10 April 2012.
A visit to the Science Museum’s Me in 3D is a great family day out as children (with parental consent) can then play with their 3D digital images, rotate them, change colours and texture.