ANS TechGlance

Out of various applications of the rapid prototyping system, Projection Modeler, is reportedly field-proven to play very important roles in a research and development field of new medicines. Atomic coordinates being extracted from a pdb file (“ pdb ” stands for Protein Data Bank that is a repository for 3-D structural data of proteins and nucleic acid and that is internationally opened and public for anyone to access to), a 1.4 mm-radius ball is set in each atom position of a three-dimensional protein molecule structure while the ball size is magnified by 10-40 million times from the angstrom-size of the atom. The enlarged three-dimensional structure of the protein molecule is modeled by the above-mentioned Projection Modeler. Observing and clearly recognizing the protein molecule structure from the model, a medicine research-and-developer can design and create a new molecule structure of medicine which to respond to the protein molecule structure. This sounds great, doesn't it! T

There must be a few tools in the world to produce 3 dimensional models not only on the computer screen but also physically in your hands. However, it seems to me that the rapid-prototyping system, Projection Modeler is exceptionally unreal. Out of so many applications in the business field, the technology, which consists of the newly developed 3-D modelling software and hardware, give us some fan. The modified technology provides you with a capability to get a miniaturised 3-D copy of your own bust. What you have to do is to sit in a special booth for a few second, just as taking your photo in the booth. You'll get a 7-inch-height bust of your own, together with tinny dolls of your self if you wish. Autofact Inc., a Japanese software company jointly worked to develop the 3-D modeller with the hardware manufacturer. 12/11/07