After our time with Dr. Fogg it was back to the Media X lab for a look at virtual world technology with Dr. Parvati Dev and Dr. LeRoy Heinrichs. It was much like Second Life but for medical professionals. I was most impressed with the level of clarity and detail in the virtual simulations. The scale, dimension and details used to render things like patients, hospital beds, monitors and even the colored lines on hospital floors were very captivating.
I wondered what it might be like if this was a full body experience in a simulation room with 3D goggles. This was more computer and mouse based but that would be an interesting next step for the future. One challenge noted by the team was how to implement actions. Dropdown menus were common but these are slow to use and don’t represent real life. I thought a touchscreen might be useful. Or perhaps a virtual world linked to physical objects like a mannequin or stethoscope.
It was great to see how new technologies are being exploited to find different ways of challenging professionals to think critically.
