How Virtual & Mixed Reality Are Changing the Face of Training for the Trades, Healthcare, & Sports
While it’s still early days for the metaverse, technologies like virtual and mixed reality are already unlocking new possibilities to improve skills acquisition and training. From people looking to master a new trade to surgeons striving to reach the top of their game to injured athletes maintaining their skills and confidence on the road to recovery, immersive technologies have been helping people reach new heights and push the limits for years. Today, we’re spotlighting various ways people are tapping into the potential of VR and MR in their everyday lives.
Launchpad update - Peggy Wu
Hello all, Since participating in the launchpad event, I have begun working on a VR based project to support Aphasia therapy. Aphasia is a communication disorder often attributed to neurological damage, e.g. stroke survivors who loose capabilities in speech but are otherwise cognitively intact. I have conducted initial interviews with experts for initial problem definition and system design, and am currently defining the use cases, user experience, and functional requirements of the system for the three user groups - therapist, patients, and informal caregivers. We are creating a VR enabled tool that can bring all three groups together in creative, comfortable, and fun settings to carry out the therapy. The use of environments and artifacts can heavily influence the effectiveness of speech therapy since objects and environments are incredible communication tools. My thesis is that the ability to teleport to any virtual environment will dramatically increase the capabilities of the therapist to encourage active participation from clients. I hope to complete the system design within the next month and begin more indepth interviews with therapists and other Aphasia experts to finalize designs and begin system engineering and content creation. Please contact me if you are interested in finding out more, if you have a related story you would like to share, or if you would like to help! Until next time, Peggy
