Introducing the course

Welcome to Statistical Shape Modelling!

Welcome to our course Statistical Shape Modelling: Computing the Human Anatomy. Over the next eight weeks, you will learn to use our shape modelling software Scalismo and, at the same time, learn to understand the mathematical concepts behind Scalismo.

Dr Marcel Lüthi and Dr Ghazi Bouabene are the lead educators in this course. Other people you will meet are Professor Thomas Vetter, the head of the research group in which Scalismo was developed, Dr Marc Metzger, a doctor and surgeon who uses shape modelling technology for his work, and Dr Stefan Schlager, a biological anthropologist who will show you the advantages introduced to his work by shape modelling. Finally, Antonia ‘the voice’ will be the narrator in this course.

Like all FutureLearn courses, this one includes different components such as theory presentations, articles, tutorials, discussions, quizzes and tests. A special feature of this course is that each tutorial will be followed by an exercise which allows you to immediately apply the skills you learned in the tutorial. You will do these exercises in a programming tool installed on your own laptop or desktop computer. In the second half of the course, you will also be working on a larger project.

Quizzes and tests will help you to assess your understanding of the mathematical theory, while the programming tool will provide immediate visual feedback on your success in solving the exercises. If you have questions concerning the theory or the tutorial, or would like to discuss your experiences in working on the exercises and the project, use the comment function and engage in the discussion steps that appear regularly. Please understand that our educators will not be able to answer your questions individually; they will, however, be present in the discussions and react to questions there. Make sure to ‘follow’ them to be sure to see all their comments.

Last but not least, we have prepared a Shapes Gone Wrong wall on Padlet, where you can post any weird shapes that might come out of your exercises – to have some fun even at the start of the course, we have provided some examples from our own work.

Now, we wish you a good start!