A shape model – what’s that?
▻http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2015/08/13/a-shape-model-whats-that
Today, a new shape model of Rosetta’s comet is released by ESA. Some of you might immediately know what this is and how you might use it, and others will wonder ‘what’s that?’ This blog post, which has been prepared with the help of experts from the Rosetta Flight Dynamics team, explains what a shape model is, how it is created, and what you could use it for. At the most basic level, a shape model is a geometrical representation of an object. Shape models are commonly used in computer programmes where the motion or change of shape of a complex object needs to be represented. Applications can vary from medical imaging of organs, creating characters in cartoons and computer games, or — closer to home (at least for the Rosetta team) — modelling how the surface of a comet changes as it rotates. (...)