We talk a lot about the potential
benefits of VR across a number of areas, talk is all well and good, but
actually seeing how it can be applied is when the potential hits home and
becomes real.
Last year at SXSW in Austin, I was lucky
enough to meet Sook-Lei Liew, a neuroscientist from USC who had created an
incredible VR prototype for treating stroke victims. Combining a swim cap, a
standard laptop and an off the shelf HMD she created REINVENT (which stands for Rehabilitation Environment using
the Integration of Neuromuscular-based Virtual Enhancements for Neural Training).
Yes they worked hard on that acronym!
This Social VR application uses EEG sensors to provide neuro-feedback
when an individual’s neuromuscular signals indicate a movement attempt, even in
the absence of actual movement. Stroke patients could retrain their brain to
move muscles that have been affected by the stroke - relearning the right brain
signals by which to move a virtual arm, which can ultimately lead to them being
able to use that rediscovered ability in reality.
I came across a great comment from Mel Slater, a professor
of virtual environments, where he talked about the ability to trick the brain: “There
is some level of the brain that doesn’t distinguish between reality and virtual
reality. A typical example is, you see a precipice and you jump back and your
heart starts racing. You react very fast because it’s the safe thing for the
brain to do. All your autonomic system starts functioning, you get a very
strong level of arousal, then you go, ‘I know it’s not real’. But it doesn’t
matter, because you still can’t step forward near that precipice.”
It is the natural reaction that Sook-Lei
Liew is utilising with REINVENT, less of a trick, but more like an immersive
rewiring of the brain.
As we gain a better understanding of the
uses of immersive technology to address key health issues, the number of
solutions will grow exponentially. From training surgeons, treatment for
depression, to pain relief, the impact immersive technology will have on our
collective health will fundamentally change the whole health industry. We’re
entering an exciting period of innovation.
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| James Watson is head of immersive technology at Imagination and will be speaking at Develop:VR with his session entitled Getting Up Close and Virtual with the Automotive Industry: Using VR for the Right Reasons |
