Paleonet: Workshop in Virtual Reconstruction, Biomechanical Modelling & Shape Analysis

[Stephen Wroe]

Computer-based biomechanical modelling, shape analysis and virtual reconstruction are powerful, fast developing tools for the analysis of form & function in zoology, paleontology, physical anthropology and biomedicine. 

This year the Computational Biomechanics Research Group is running a workshop in the application of Finite Element Analysis, Shape Analysis and Virtual Reconstruction at the University of New South Wales - September 3rd to 7th 2012.

Attendees will be given a solid grounding in the skills required to assemble and analyse 3D mechanical models from serial x-ray (CT or microCT) data of biological specimens. 

The very latest approaches to model generation and analysis for use in form-function studies in evolutionary biology, paleontology and biomedicine will be covered. 

CT data is available for a wide range of taxa – including fossil species such as the Haarst’s eagle of New Zealand, South American glyptodonts, giant short-faced kangaroos and extinct members of the human family tree, as well as a very wide range of living vertebrate species.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own CT data or nominate the species or taxa of interest to them so that we can help them generate and analysis their models. 

The workshop is structured to accommodate biologists, physical anthropologists and palaeontologists with no formal background in engineering; or engineers with no formal training in biosciences. 

We aim to get people up and running on their own projects. We will maintain assistance beyond the workshop to bring projects to completion.

The workshop will be run by Stephen Wroe (Senior Research Fellow, UNSW), Prof. Philip Clausen, (Head of Discipline, Mechanical Engineering, Univ. of Newcastle) and Dr William Parr (Endeavour Fellow, UNSW). Technical experts from the two primary software companies involved (Materialise and Strand7) will offer further assistance, as will other members of the CBRG team, including postgraduate students.

Guest lectures will also be presented by experts in related areas including Computational Fluid Dynamics and Physical Anthropology.

A nominal fee of $AUD 200.00 will be charged to cover costs for postgraduates and undergraduates and AUD $400.00 for professionals. The number of places available is limited.

Please contact Stephen Wroe for further details: s.wroe at unsw.edu.au

Publications and examples of models and methods generated/applied by the CBRG are available at:
http://compbiomechblog.blogspot.com.au/

Dr Stephen Wroe
Director - Computational Biomechanics Research Group
School of Biological Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW
Conjoint Associate Professor
School of Engineering, University of Newcastle

Webpages:
http://compbiomechblog.blogspot.com/
     http://www.compbiomech.com
         http://unsw.academia.edu/StephenWroe
           http://www.bees.unsw.edu.au/staff/stephen-wroe
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, 2052
Email: s.wroe at unsw.edu.au
Ph: 61 2 9385 3866; 61 2 4969 3006
Mobile 04323 49049
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