Tools for rapid prototyping in the biosciences

Modeling natural objects like human skeletons is essentially reverse engineering from medical imaging data. We report on the design and implementation of such tools for computer-assisted rapid prototyping applications. Two application case studies show how graphics tools exploit the potential of stereolithography in the biosciences, demonstrating the role of stereolithographic models (a) in reconstructing fragmentary fossil skulls and (b) in surgical planning and rehearsal. >