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. 2021 Dec;282(12):1785-1800.
doi: 10.1002/jmor.21421. Epub 2021 Nov 2.

Virtual and augmented reality: New tools for visualizing, analyzing, and communicating complex morphology

Robert L Cieri  1   2 , Morgan L Turner  3   4 , Ryan M Carney  5 , Peter L Falkingham  6 , Alexander M Kirk  5 , Tobias Wang  7 , Bjarke Jensen  8 , Johannes Novotny  9 , Joshua Tveite  10 , Stephen M Gatesy  3 , David H Laidlaw  10 , Howard Kaplan  11 , Antoon F M Moorman  8 , Mark Howell  1 , Benjamin Engel  12 , Cole Cruz  13 , Adam Smith  13 , William Gerichs  13 , Yingjie Lian  13 , Johanna T Schultz  2 , C G Farmer  1
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Virtual and augmented reality: New tools for visualizing, analyzing, and communicating complex morphology

Robert L Cieri et al. J Morphol. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) are new technologies with the power to revolutionize the study of morphology. Modern imaging approaches such as computed tomography, laser scanning, and photogrammetry have opened up a new digital world, enabling researchers to share and analyze morphological data electronically and in great detail. Because this digital data exists on a computer screen, however, it can remain difficult to understand and unintuitive to interact with. VR/AR technologies bridge the analog-to-digital divide by presenting 3D data to users in a very similar way to how they would interact with actual anatomy, while also providing a more immersive experience and greater possibilities for exploration. This manuscript describes VR/AR hardware, software, and techniques, and is designed to give practicing morphologists and educators a primer on using these technologies in their research, pedagogy, and communication to a wide variety of audiences. We also include a series of case studies from the presentations and workshop given at the 2019 International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology, and suggest best practices for the use of VR/AR in comparative morphology.

Keywords: anatomy; collections; comparative; education; visualization.

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