Virtual Reality Used in Medical Research

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Dec 9, 1994) — 

Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) Research Scientist Don Stredney was invited to present "Intuitive Interfaces for the Integration of Multisensory Information" at the Applications of Virtual Reality in Medicine symposium in Antwerp, Belgium, on Saturday, November 19, 1994. The symposium was sponsored by the Belgium Institute for Automatic Control.

At the symposium comprising medical and research professionals, Stredney described some of the on-going biomedical research projects currently being Investigated by the OSC. For example, the current projects include research on integrating 3-D volume graphics and haptic displays, or force-reflecting interfaces in training simulations for surgery. This allows the user to "feel" realistic forces generated by the simulation. Stredney's team is also creating a wheelchair navigation system using virtual reality benefiting users, architects, and health care providers.

This research at OSC is done by The Biomedical Applications Research Initiative, an interdisciplinary group comprising research scientists and clinicians. "This Initiative is attempting to integrate virtual technologies to create realistic models for use in training situations for doctors, students, and the general public," said Stredney.

The OSC is chartered to advance the use of high performance computing resources and digital communications on the Global Information Infrastructure. OSC addresses the technology-related needs of Ohio's academic, industry, and research communities through varied initiatives including biomedical technology, visualization, support of k-12 and higher education, high-speed networking, information storage, industrial outreach, and public service.

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