Programming and 3D graphics professionals from IBM Zurich recently announced that they can create a Google Earth for the human body. That is, they can come up with a way to create a program that browses the human body using layers and layers of 3D images. The program is called Anatomic and Symbolic Mapper Engine (ASME).

Such an application could come very handy in revolutionizing how today's medical practitioners write medical records. Instead of mere text and numerical values, graphics could be viewed displaying the human body with the ability to point ti any given part and learn everything about it using sights, sounds, and numbers.

The proposal is a welcome one and is considered a huge leap in 3D-imaging application to everyday life, but some are questioning how the whole project would turn out when push comes to shove. Website Realityme says there's quite a few challenges that must be hurdled by IBM Zurich before they can truly be convincing.

First is the disparity in the comparison of human body imaging techniques to that of Google Earth. Realityme says that these are two different subjects that will be approached differently. Where Google Earth only shows the Earth's surface using height, length, and width, the human body is volumetric and has complex sections and organs inside.

Attempting to do this with hopes of doing everything as "real-time" as possible would be fairly difficult. Considering how unique human bodies are in measure, even getting your particulars digitized could run up big costs.

In conclusion, Realityme says that the project is by all means feasible, though it might be a little early to issue foregone conclusions. Still, it's interesting to think that the future of medicine can be so in touch with the precision of computers. Let's just hope our 3D medical images won't be as open to the public as Google Earth.