Published on Sunday, May 10, 2009
SensAble Technologies, a company providing devices used in medical simulation, has announced a substantial upgrade to their already existing shoulder and knee arthroscopy simulator - insightArthroVR. The new version of the simulator was developed with GMV, a solution provider from Spain.
insightArthroVR is a training tool, teaching surgeons the essential skills of triangulation, camera orientation, and hand-eye coordination for shoulder and/or knee arthroscopy. It consists of a haptic model knee or shoulder, on which they can perform operations while following training modules on an integrated screen. Using two Phantom Omni devices, the model reacts and "pushes back". At the same time, the system can generate realistic corresponding sounds and evaluate skills. In addition, GMV's team has applied SensAble's OpenHaptics toolkit to specify appropriate material properties and levels of force feedback, so that the the student can experience the precise feeling of bone, cartilage, labrum, ligaments or tendons.
These exercises are generally done on cadavers, which are costly and unavailable in some countries. insightArthroVR has for goal to propose surgeons an easier way to learn and exercise knee or shoulder arthroscopy without any risk for the patient. They can can train to perfection as they learn to distinguish the feeling of rough, damaged tissue compared to the smoothness of healthy tissue.
More information in the press release.
[ via medGadget ]
Published on Saturday, May 9, 2009
Published on Friday, May 8, 2009
Inspired by a successful project carried out ten years ago (!) in Netherlands, on the Eindhoven University of Technology, the first UK virtual construction training center is set to open in Coventry in September 2009.
The ACT-UK Simulation Centre will enable construction managers to practice their people management skills and help them develop their potential. This will be done through a pioneering combination of virtual reality computer techniques and participation of real people.
On a 12-meter panoramic screen, the training facility will reproduce construction sites in detail, allowing the trainees to have a rich immersive experience based on real-life situations. The particularity of the concept is in that these situations will also involve professional actors, playing site personnel, colleagues, or members of the public. While "walking" through the construction site, the future managers will have to face laying off members of the stuff, conflicts with angry residents or subcontractors threatening to walk off the job. The realism of the scene is supposed to help them build mechanisms against all kinds of pressure they will be exposed to once in the real world.
Backed by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and leading construction companies, including Balfour Beatty, the project aims at having the success of it's Netherlands predecessor. The BMSC (Building Management Simulation Centre) at Leeuwarden has transformed the approach to training in this challenging sector, and is today used by more than 360 firms.
[ via 24dash.com ]
Published on Thursday, May 7, 2009
After people understood that the pandemic risk of H1N1 is real, some backed up in retreat and some decided that it's the good moment to - launch an attack.
Officescape, a provider of office virtualization services, issued a press release putting in focus their experience in facing up H1N1 related absenteeism (yet to come, maybe). In the perspective of the growing fear people will succumb to in the upcoming phases of the influenza menace, absenteeism can lead businesses in a spiral of inefficiency and crippled revenues. To fight this eventuality - go virtual!
The company's Emergency Office solution offers the basic stuff : backup systems, conference rooms, real and virtual, data security, server virtualization and such. They claim they are capable of insuring the continuity of work in a critical situation, and cite the example of helping out Authentium during the 2004 hurricane Ivan passing over Florida.
Now here's the point : As the original post states, the real opportunity in this story is for the virtual reality office and telepresence solutions. Being the natural extension of what Officescape does, the VR could offer needing companies a real and realistic substitute for everyday office activities. For those depending on stability and employees' presence, this would be a substantial shift forward.
In the world of today, independently of the H1N1 outcome, there is no lack of threats. Why not make them a strong marketing argument?
[ via TMCnet ]
Published on Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Half-virtual, to be more precise.
Tomorrow, May 7, at the City Theater of Vicenza, Italy, born from colaboration of The Orchestra del Teatro Olimpico, The Teatro Sociale di Rovigo and The Teatro del Giglio di Lucca, will take place the first representation of Verdi's Rigoletto featuring - virtual reality.
In this unique mise-en-scene, all the scenery for the opera is done in virtual 3D graphics and will be projected on the stage. According to Maestro Giancarlo De Lorenzo, artistic director at the theater of Vicenza, the motivation for such an artistic and innovational leap was offering the spectator something new. A new experience, which will, he says, be emotionally stronger, given the fact everything will perfectly adapt to the music.
More than pure static virtual scenery, already seen before, this spectacular creation under the direction of Dieter Kaegi from Austria will offer an animated and interactive 3D environment, rich with special effects and operated in real time. Video preview here.
What else do you need to revive the interest for the most complete of all the Arts?
[ via Il Giornale di Vicenza ]
