Creative Anatomy Collective

Creative Anatomy Collective focuses on enhancing learning experience of Anatomy beyond traditional classroom settings in integrating interactive/performing art practices and innovative visualization technologies. This program is funded by TOP grant at Texas A&M University since 2015. The collaborative efforts have been produced by Dr. Jinsil Hwaryoung Seo (PI)  and Dr. Michelle Pine (PI) and other faculty members: Tim McLaughlin, Carol LaFayette, Felice House from the Department of Visualization, Christine Bergeron from the Dance program, and Takashi Yamauchi from Department of Psychology.

Education

In the spring semesters of 2016 and 2017, section 200 of the Biomedical Anatomy course (Instructors: Dr. Michelle Pine and Erica Malone) was designed to combine the traditional methods of teaching undergraduate anatomy with more innovative, creative and engaging methods involving the arts. As part of the course, four studio sessions were held during the combined lecture and lab periods. During each of the studio sessions the concepts and structures being presented in lecture and dissection were addressed, using a different creative method for each session.

Drawing/Body Painting session: Students conducted an in-depth study of facial muscles of expression by creating three large-scale drawings and labeling the muscles on each.

Sculpture session: Students compared the human and canine muscles of the thoracic limb by building the same muscles for each species in clay. The arm models were provided by Anatomy in Clay.

Body Movement sessions: The final two sessions required students to transfer knowledge gained on the model species used in class, the dog, to their own bodies, as they explored the human anatomy of the thoracic and pelvic limbs respectively.

Students enjoyed the studio sessions and that each helped them to better understand or recognize a concept or structure covered in the course, which contributed to their success.

Research and Creative Activities

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Anatomy Builder VR allows students to assemble bones and muscles and simulate movements using HTC Vive.

If you want to know more about this project, please contact hwaryoung at tamu.edu.

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Body painting techniques have been applied to visualize anatomical structures on skin.

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Students’ artworks from the Creative Anatomy Collective have been exhibited at VIZ North Gallery.

ARnatomy

ARnatomy recognizes a variety of 3D printed bones while a user holds and moves a bone in front of the camera of a mobile device or behind the camera. Once recognized the bones are populated with virtual text labels that move on the screen to match the video camera feed of the bones.

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FlexAR explores different AR interface styles to see how they support different learning styles. The styles we explored were wearable, tablet, and computer. Users of our prototype manipulate a physical skeletal model affixed with augmented reality (AR) targets.

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The pelvic limb model is based on the skeletal structure of a canine pelvic limb. Components such as structural support, muscle function simulation, simulated muscle structure, and simulated skeletal structure all had to be considered during model construction.

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Kinetic Anatomy Builder 

[In progress]

Kinetic Anatomy Builder is a physical kit that allows students build a canine model and manipulate movements by controlling individual muscle groups.

If you want to know more about this project, please contact hwaryoung at tamu.edu.

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VR Thoracic Limb Movement Simulation

Our VR canine thoracic limb application allows students to learn about musculoskeletal movements while also enhancing spatial visualization abilities in a more engaging way.

Participants

Faculty & Staff

Dr. Jinsil Hwaryoung Seo

Dr. Michelle Pine

Brian Smith, MFA

Michael Bruner, BS

Students

Erica Malone (PhD, Vet School)

Megan Cook (MS, VIZ)

Ben Heymann (BS, VIZ)

Preston White (BS, VIZ)

Steven Leal (BS, CS)

Sarah Bannon (BS, VIZ)

Daniel Matas (BS, VIZ)

Erin Schulte (BS, VIZ)

Alumni

Preston White (BS, VIZ)

Collaborators

Dr. Shinjiro Sueda

Dr. Jinkyo Suh

Dr. Zhikun Bai

Prof. Felice House

Prof. Christine Bergeron

Prof. Tim McLaughlin

Prof. Carol LaFayette