Modeling my dream | Kyosuke Yamamoto | TEDxOsaka

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences.
Kyosuke Yamamoto has been interested in computer graphics technology. He had his computed tomography (CT) scan and made his transparent body replica made by 3D-printer. He thinks it will contribute to the prevention of diseases.

I have a dream.

My dream is working for people
with digital technology.

The reason is clear.

I've been interested
in Computer Graphics Technology

since I was 4 years old.

To model my dream,
I'm piling up the "paper of efforts".

I wanted to know what will happen

if I pile up a "paper of efforts".

You might think "paper"
is two-dimensional.

But, if paper is piled up,
it will have thickness

and it'll become three-dimensional.

Using this idea, I piled up
more than 100 milk cartons

and built a sailing boat
when I was 11 years old.

I thought that piling up
something is so interesting.

This is my first dot of curiosity.

Now, I'm researching about
digital technology at school seminar.

Last summer vacation,
I got to know the OsiriX software.

By using this software,

CT and MRI images can be
easily reconstructed into 3D images.

And the 3D images can be modeled
by using a 3D printer.

I was surprised to see this technology
used in the medical field.

A 3D model is made
by piling up the slice data.

This idea is the same
as that of building my sailing boat.

The dots were connected in my life.

[Dots were connected - Steve Jobs]

(Laughter)

(Applause)

However, this wonderful technology
is used only in the medical field.

Maybe you think
it's "Mottainai", wasteful.

(Laughter)

I thought so, too.

And I thought that we should use
this technology for education, too.

At that time in the newspaper,

I knew Dr. Maki Sugimoto
who is an expert in digital medicine.

I thought I must meet him.

He looked friendly enough
to share my idea,

so I sent him an email.

Then I went to meet him.

I told him my idea; then he said,

"I'll make [you] visible
and copy you in a 3D model."

Later on, my body was modeled.

(Laughter)

This is it!

(Applause)

It's amazing.

This is 40% of my real body.

When I got this model,
I had a big question.

How should I use this model for people?

(Laughter)

There are, I think, two answers.

The first is to make
my model every year

and it helps me understand
the process of my growth.

If I become ill in the future,

we can easily find the cause through it.

Then it'll contribute
to the prevention of diseases.

The second is anyone can have
his own skeleton model

and learn his own body through it.

If you're a smoker
and your skeleton’s lungs look black,

then you'll stop smoking.

If metabolic people

(Laughter)

see their own skeleton models
and find a lot of fat,

then they'll start a diet.

By visualizing their own body,
everyone can change for better.

Of course you too.

Well, do you want to have
your skeleton model?

(Audience) Yes.

Thank you.

(Applause)

By the way,

I found this life model
in my science room.

You can take out internal organs
one by one from this model,

and learn about them.

But who is he?

(Laughter)

Do you know?

Who knows?

Nobody knows!

Do you feel life through this?

No!

He never tells me how life is.

But this is me.

(Laughter)

We can think of life using it.

Of course, the Skeleton never talks to me.

(Laughter)

Well, life is precious,
the skeleton model tells us.

I hear 30% of the cause of death
among Japanese teens is suicide.

To reduce this, I want
to show this skeleton model

to every junior high school boys and girls

for the skeleton model gives us a chance

to think about the meaning
of life seriously.

We, the young generation,
must lead the future world.

And then, I have been doing
many presentations outside of my school.

I had the chance to tell my idea
up to 2,000 people this year.

I'm spreading my idea by doing like this.

Encounters induce encounters.

Today, my idea has been extending
nationally and internationally.

I would like to connect
with everybody in the world.

If everyone has his own skeleton model,

even if looks is different,
we notice that we all are human.

Actually, my activity is a little step.

But, I hope it will be
a first step towards global peace.

Thank you very much.

(Applause) (Standing ovations)

Thank you.

(Applause)