Medical Readiness Trainer
This ongoing project is an interdisciplinary effort at the University of Michigan involving the Medical Center, the Department of Emergency Medicine, the Digital Media Commons (formerly the Media Union), and the Virtual Reality Laboratory at the College of Engineering. The objective is the development of a “Virtual Reality-Enhanced Medical Readiness Trainer” (MRT) that integrates advanced technologies like human patient simulators, immersive virtual reality MIDEN systems, next generation Internet technology, virtual video conferencing, and more in the context of distributed and shared virtual environments for the training of emergency personnel in a variety of common as well as extreme situations.
One such example of the collaboration is the design and organization of an Operating Room (OR) in fully immersive virtual reality. This particular application allows a physician or hospital administrator to configure a virtual operating room for optimal efficiency and safety.
Another example of efforts originating from this collaboration is the development of the sick bay application for the Virtual Reality MIDEN. This application places the individual in a sick bay on turbulent waters. Our peripheral vision plays a large role in our orientation and balance. Performing medical procedures as the room appears to move and shift around you is a difficult task that is better prepared for in advance. The MIDEN‘s wide field-of-view and immersion allow for a effective and nauseating experience perfect for training medical personal on naval vessels.
Original Project Page: Medical Readiness Trainer