Simulation in Health Sciences Education

The Haptic Cow is a virtual reality (VR) simulator developed by a veterinarian (Sarah Baillie). After graduating from Bristol vet school, Sarah worked in veterinary practice for many years. In 2001, while still working as a vet, she undertook a Masters in Information Technology and then a PhD in the Department of Computing Science at the University of Glasgow. The Haptic Cow was developed to help train veterinary students to palpate a cow's reproductive tract, to perform fertility examinations and to diagnose pregnancy. The simulator uses haptic (touch feedback) technology and has a PHANToM haptic device (from SensAble Technologies) positioned inside a fibreglass model of the rear-half of a cow. When being trained with the Haptic Cow, the student palpates computer- generated 3D virtual objects representing the uterus, ovaries, pelvis and abdominal structures. The teacher provides instruction and feedback while following the student's hand movements inside the cow on the computer monitor. The Haptic Cow is being used by several UK vet schools.

The SWIFT project at the University of Leicester (Second World Immersive Future Teaching) has created a virtual genetics lab within the three-dimensional, virtual world of Second Life, to help students studying genetics and biological science. Phase one of SWIFT uses this virtual lab to help first year undergraduates become acclimatised to working in a laboratory; in particular to learn about the main pieces of equipment and the many health and safety factors involved.

In this video, PD Alchemi (Dr Paul Rudman) and Trinity Quicksand (Dr Suzanne Lavelle) introduce the SWIFT project and the virtual lab.

SWIFT is a three year research project by the departments of Genetics and Beyond Distance Research Alliance, and is funded by the Higher Education Academy National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS). The Principal Investigator is Prof.Annette Cashmore, researcher Dr Paul Rudman, genetics teacher/consultant Dr Suzanne Lavelle. Prof. Gilly Salmon was research director for the early part of SWIFT.

A man paralysed almost entirely from the neck down navigates through a virtual world using a brain-computer interface. The subject was able to do so about 90% of the time.
More here: www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn12136

Virtual reality stroke rehabilitation system based on activation of the human mirror neuron system.

Kinect rehabilitation game prototype we are building at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences using Kajak3d engine.

http://www.virtual-reality-rehabilitation.com

SeeMe RehabilitationVirtual reality is a technology that undoubtedly has great potential to be used in various branches of medicine. Although the systems associated with the use of virtual reality have been present on the market for many years, their use is not very popular.

Abstract

On the Edge of the Magic Circle studies two threads of contemporary western gaming culture: Role-playing and pervasive games. Recreational role-playing includes forms such as tabletop role-playing games, larps and online role-playing games, while pervasive games range from treasure hunts to alternate reality games. A discussion on pervasive role-playing connects these strands together.The work has four larger research goals. First, to establish a conceptual framework for understanding role-playing in games. Second, to establish a conceptual framework for understanding pervasive games. Third, to explore the expressive potential of pervasive games through prototypes. And fourth, to establish a theoretical foundation for the study of ephemeral games.

The central outcome of the work is a theory complex that explains and defines role-playing and pervasive gaming, and allows them to be understood in the context of the recent discussion in game studies.

In order to understand these two borderline cases of games, the work establishes a theoretical foundation that highlights gameplay as a social process. This foundation combines the weak social constructionism of John R. Searle with the recent game studies scholarship from authors such as Jesper Juul, Jane McGonigal, Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman.

This video demonstrates a user being tracked with the Primesense camera to acutate movement of an articulated stick figure, while Dr. Carolee Winstein, Professor and Director of the University of Southern California Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (NIDRR-funded RERC) fields questions about the impact of this sensor system on the future of Virtual Rehabilitation. This work is being conducted at the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies in partnership with the RERC focusing on optimizing participation through technology. This RERC aims to address the rehabilitation needs of those aging with a disability through the use of innovative Virtual Reality and game-based systems. Key investigators on this work include Belinda Lange and Skip Rizzo in partnership with Evan Suma, Mark Bolas, Brad Newman and Kevin Chang. Carolee Winstein and Phil Requejo are the USC RERC Directors and more information on this RERC can be found at: http://www.isi.edu/research/rerc/. Learn more about ICT at http://ict.usc.edu.

Tej Tadi explains MindMaze, an EPFL start up based on Olaf Blanke's groundbreaking research in Cognitive Neuroscience, that uses virtual reality to rehabilitate patients who have suffered from strokes or other brain trauma.

According to the Portuguese National Institute of Statistics (INE), in 2001 there were approximately 66 219 mentally impaired people which represent 0,64% of total population. Of these, 23 666 (35,74%) where classified by Social Security by having a disability degree of 60% or more, and require special attention and occupational therapy. New technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) open new and exciting opportunities that may address some limitations and problems of conventional occupational therapy, such as patients' low motivation, lack of time to develop/apply adapted exercises for individuals with specials needs in heterogeneous groups and therapist skill, among others.
Microsoft Kinect© is a new device that enables users to control a PC or a videogame console without needing any physical interface. This is accomplished by a sensor than records a person's full body movements in real time and interprets those movements in commands.

We propose to assess the benefits of using Microsoft Kinect© videogames to stimulate cognitive capacities of patients with mental disabilities, namely orientation, visual and spatial perception, motor praxis, visual motor organization and thinking operations.

Microsoft is promoting new uses for its Kinect device, including stroke patient rehabilitation and cleaner hospital operating theatres. . Report by Mark Morris. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn