Recap of 1 Billion Humans in AI & XR

Doug Hohulin hosted our online session and had Dr. Harvey Castro MD give a presentation.

The meeting discussed the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (XR) in healthcare, emphasizing the benefits of combining AI for intelligence processes with XR for immersive visuals to enhance learning and potentially gamify experiences. The conversation also touched on the potential of AI to improve healthcare outcomes and reduce medical errors. Doug Hohulin shared insights on AI and XR integration in healthcare, focusing on responsible AI, automated connected vehicles, and healthcare solutions to reduce medical errors. The discussion also covered the impact of generative AI on efficiency gains, time savings, and its projected contribution to the world GDP in the next five years. Additionally, there was exploration on how AI can complement healthcare services, reduce clinician burnout, provide second opinions, and assist in patient care management. The meeting also delved into leveraging AI in healthcare for quality care, addressing the aging population, reducing deaths significantly, and helping in areas like traffic deaths and medical errors. Furthermore, the conversation included the use of AI in medical diagnosis, the role of AI in medicine, reinforced learning in healthcare, integration of augmented reality in healthcare, resistance to AI in medicine, integration of AI in medical practice, improving healthcare diagnosis and technology adoption, integration of AI in mental health care, and the integration of wearables and AI in healthcare. Lastly, there was a discussion on venture investing in healthcare technology startups, emphasizing the importance of domain knowledge, managing risks, dealing with regulatory bodies like the FDA, and the support needed for successful companies.

Topics & Highlights

1. Integration of AI and XR in Healthcare

• The discussion highlighted the benefits of combining AI and XR in healthcare to create a more immersive and effective learning experience, emphasizing the potential for gamification to enhance learning and exploration.

2. Impact of Generative AI on Efficiency and GDP

• efficiency gains and time savings from using generative AI, citing examples from studies by Salesforce and Boston Consulting. Accenture's projection of generative AI's impact on world GDP was also mentioned.

• Further discussion on the potential growth of generative AI usage, its impact on various sectors like healthcare, and the projection of a billion people using immersive devices in the metaverse.

3. Role of AI in Healthcare and Patient Treatment

• potential of AI in healthcare, addressing issues like clinician burnout, patient treatment, second opinions, and AI's role in complementing healthcare services.

4. Utilizing AI in Healthcare for Quality Care and Wellness Improvement

• potential of using AI in healthcare to improve quality care, reduce deaths significantly, and address challenges like traffic deaths and medical errors.

5. AI Applications in Medical Diagnosis

• AI assisted in diagnosing Tethered Cord Syndrome after multiple misdiagnoses, highlighting the potential of AI in medical diagnosis.

6. Role of AI in Medicine

• Discussion on the advancements in AI for medical applications, including predictive analytics and the transition from evidence-based medicine to intelligence-based medicine.

7. Reinforced Learning in Healthcare

• importance of reinforced learning in healthcare, the need for specific language models, and the potential applications of bots and AI in personalized patient care.

• Further discussion on medical training using VR technology for anatomy learning, procedures, and simulations in healthcare.

8. Integration of Augmented Reality in Healthcare

• benefits of using AR glasses in healthcare, such as accessing patient data, visualizing medical images, educating patients, and enhancing workflow. He mentions the cost of the Apple Vision Pro and its impact on different healthcare departments.

• experiences with AI technologies like ChatGPT-4 and its applications in healthcare, including diagnosing medical conditions, analyzing images, creating podcasts, and improving efficiency.

9. Integration of AI in Healthcare

• concerns about the resistance from doctors towards adopting AI in healthcare due to fears of obsolescence, changes in processes, and compensation issues.

• importance of gradual education and implementation of AI in healthcare to address doctors' concerns and ensure a positive reception, emphasizing the need for experts like himself to guide and educate healthcare professionals.

10. Resistance to AI in Medicine

• The participants discussed the challenges of convincing doctors to accept AI due to pride, competition, and territorial behavior. Harvey shared experiences of making doctors feel dumb to eventually gain their respect. Doug mentioned patients' fear of AI similar to vaccine hesitancy.

11. Integration of AI in Medical Practice

• The participants emphasized the importance of making the best first opinion in patient care. They discussed the potential motivators for integrating AI in medical practice, including improved diagnostics and mitigating medical practice insurance risks.

12. Improving Healthcare Diagnosis and Technology Adoption

• concerns about misdiagnosis by doctors, the slow adoption of technology in healthcare, and the potential risks of over-reliance on AI in patient care.

• Discussion on the potential risks of excessive reliance on AI in mental health care, highlighting the importance of human-to-human connections and the need for a human in the loop to prevent adverse outcomes.

• Discussion on the importance of maintaining a balance between AI and human interaction in mental health care, emphasizing the need for human oversight in AI-driven patient interactions.

13. Integration of AI in Mental Health Care

• concerns about patients relying on AI like Dr. Google and Dr. ChatGPT for medical advice, highlighting the importance of proper medical training and supervision.

• Agreement that AI tools should supplement, not replace, human medical care.

14. Integration of Wearables and AI in Healthcare

• Discussion on the significance of HIPAA compliance for healthcare apps and the use of on-device AI for enhanced security and user comfort.

Recap of our session on HACVAT and VPAT 508 compliance for VR/AR applications

Peter Oykhman hosted our Healthcare online session and gave a presentation on a very important topic, "HACVAT and 508 VPAT challenges for the XR industry". Our conversation is shedding light on this difficult question.

The meeting discussed the 508 compliance issue and VPAT 508 compliance, emphasizing the challenges faced by software vendors in meeting the requirements set by the US government. Concerns were raised about the impact of non-compliance on vendors working with government entities and the need for a consistent message among software vendors. The conversation also touched on compliance measures related to mobile devices, highlighting the challenges in meeting standards and the importance of data protection and security, especially in sectors like healthcare. A decision was made to focus on making applications compliant with hearing impaired users, while acknowledging the challenges in achieving full compliance for visually impaired users. Additionally, there was a discussion on the need for regulation changes to address technology accessibility issues for visually impaired individuals, with plans to collaborate with associations and vendors to find solutions. Next steps include sending a letter to bring together stakeholders and offering to include interested individuals in a collaboration group to work towards resolving technology accessibility challenges.

Topics & Highlights:

508 Compliance Issue and VPAT 508 Compliance

• concerns about the 508 compliance issue and VPAT 508 compliance, emphasizing the challenges faced by software vendors in meeting the requirements set by the US government. He discussed the implications for various organizations, including government entities, educational institutions, hospitals, nonprofits, and the military, and highlighted the need for clarity and compliance with the regulations.

508 Compliance and Government Regulations

• concerns about the challenges of 508 compliance, the impact of non-compliance on vendors working with government entities, and the need for a consistent message among software vendors.

Discussion on Compliance Measures and Accessibility

• Participants expressed concerns about the challenges in meeting compliance measures at 100% and the importance of data protection and security, especially in sectors like healthcare. They discussed the difficulties faced by manufacturers in achieving full compliance and the role of IT departments in assessing the impact of compliance criteria on their organizations.

• A decision was made to focus on making applications compliant with hearing impaired users by implementing features like closed captioning, speech-to-text, and text-to-speech. However, it was acknowledged that achieving full compliance, especially for visually impaired users, presents challenges that may not be fully addressed.

VRARA Member Highlights using VR as a Tool for Learning

VRARA Member Kimberly Workum from University of Manitoba discusses about how VR can be used as a learning tool in nursing and medicine. Watch the interview here!

Has Healthcare Reached the “Tipping Point” for Mass Adoption of XR?

The use of virtual and augmented reality technologies (collectively known as extended reality or just XR), in the healthcare industry is on a dramatic rise.  Some industry analysts predict healthcare to be one of the fastest growth industries for the use of XR. 

Recently there have been many press releases and case studies from organizations that have implemented XR solutions for patient care starting from analysis, diagnosis, critical care, therapy, surgical procedures, and of course medical professional training.  Are these indicators that we are at the “Tipping Point” for mass adoption of XR in the Healthcare industry?

However, there are many skeptics and naysayers in the healthcare industry .

So where are we really at in terms of adoption of XR in the healthcare industry?

That was the primary question that was asked during the recent VR/AR Association Healthcare Summit at the University of Miami on February 24, 2024.

This 1 day conference and technology exposition was hosted by the University of Miami and brought together physicians, researchers, and technology companies who are leading the way in using XR to share information, experiences and opinions about where we are, and where we are headed in terms of adoption of XR in healthcare.

With over 100 attendees both in person and virtually on the ENGAGE XR platform this conference exceeded attendees expectations.

We would like to thank the VR/AR Association South Florida Chapter, the University of Miami and our conference sponsor Magic Leap for helping us put on this initial event.

If you weren’t able to attend the Miami event then you can join us in Orlando on April 11th and 12th for the VR/AR Central Florida Chapter Immersive Technology Summit at Full Sail University where we will have a track and exhibitors focused on XR and healthcare such as eXeX (the first company in the world to use the Apple Vision Pro in surgical operations who are from Orlando), AdventHealth University, Orlando Health, the US Defense Health Agency, US Army, Navy and Air Force.  In addition hardware providers such as HTC Vive, Magic Leap, Varjo, Magnetic 3D will participate and be showcasing their solutions and experiences. 

Due to the success of the Miami event we are looking to host Healthcare summits with our VRARA Chapters and other associations around the world. If you are interested, please contact John Cunningham at john@thevrara.com.

Please watch the highlight video of the VRARA Healthcare Summit!  

Summary from our Voice-Enabled VR Activities Reshaping Language Therapy Experiences

Ognjen Todic and Nikola Paunovic from Keen Research presented our online session https://www.thevrara.com/industry-committees on Voice-Enabled VR Activities Reshaping Language Therapy Experiences , with 25+ professionals.

Ognjen Todic provided an overview of Keen Research's voice-enabled VR activities for language therapy, emphasizing the benefits of on-device processing and privacy. The discussion also covered the benefits of local processing, the SDK and customer use cases, and Pragmatica's virtual reality solution for speech and language therapy. Challenges in accessing speech therapy were highlighted, along with the company's business model and future plans. The regulatory pathway, voice data storage, use cases of the solution, integration with existing VR programs, hardware and battery consumption, voice recognition and noise, supported languages, and pricing model were also discussed.

Voice-enabled VR activities for language therapy

• overview of Keen Research and their software development kit for on-device feature cognition.

• benefits of on-device speech recognition and how their product, Keen ASR SDK, enables voice-enabling applications locally without the need for internet connectivity.

• Keen Research develops SDKs for on-device speech recognition.

• developers integrate Keen ASR SDK in their applications to voice-enable them.

• privacy and security benefits of on-device processing, ensuring compliance with regulations like HIPAA, COPPA, and GDPR.

• importance of on-device processing, including offline functionality, network independence, and scalability.

• advantages of on-device processing, such as privacy, security, and removing dependencies on network and back-end services.

Discussion about the benefits of local processing

• The speaker mentions the benefits of running everything locally, including no latency, easier customization, and cost or usage-based cloud solutions. They also mention having full control over data and users' data and its use.

Discussion about the SDK and customer use cases

• SDK and its features, including native SDKs for iOS, Android, and Linux, a web JavaScript SDK in beta, and a Unity plugin. They also mention supporting multiple languages.

• customer use cases, including Metronic, University of Louisville, Viacom, Paramount, PBS Kids, and Pragmatica, with use cases in education and VR training.

Discussion about Pragmatica's virtual reality solution for speech and language therapy

• VR solution for speech and language therapy. They mention the positive feedback and traction received for their VR activities.

• the problem they are trying to solve, which is the limited availability and high cost of speech therapy for children with communicative disorders.

Challenges in accessing speech therapy

• The average cost of speech therapy is $150 an hour, which can go up to over $250 an hour in metropolitan areas. Some waitlists for appointments can be as long as 6 to 12 months, and even longer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The core product is virtual reality activities that allow individuals to practice their communication skills independently. These activities are professionally curated and tailored for clients.

• The company's solution is to create virtual reality activities that mimic speech therapy sessions, allowing individuals to practice their communication skills at home. This solution aims to provide immediate intervention and overcome the barriers of cost and availability.

• The advantages of the virtual reality product include the use of Keen Research's voice recognition technology, custom tips and personalized feedback, and the immersive and transferable practice it offers. Virtual reality allows for hands, head, and gesture tracking, which is beneficial for individuals with autism.

Business model and future plans

• The company's business model involves selling the product as a subscription plan for $150 a month, providing access to all virtual reality activities and the data dashboard.

• The company is based in Canada and plans to expand to the US market. They have competitors in the VR therapy space but highlight their product's autonomy and voice recognition capabilities as unique advantages.

• The team plans to finish stage one of their marketing strategy by the end of the year and move on to stage two, which includes ad spend, digital marketing, and social media. They also discuss the need for seed funding by September 2025.

Regulatory Pathway

• the regulatory pathway for the company's intervention in the field of suicide prevention and clinical trials. Karthik explains that FDA approval is not mandatory in speech and language therapy, but they are looking into regulatory approvals for insurance purposes. The main concern is data privacy.

Voice Data Storage

• where the voice data is stored. the processing happens locally on the device and there doesn't need to be a recording on the device. However, there is an option to store the recording if needed.

Use Cases of the Solution

• traction in EdTech, language learning, entertainment/education, and frontline worker scenarios such as warehouse operations and healthcare procedures.

Virtual Reality (VR) and Audio Virtual Reality

• concern about the lack of voice communication in her VR research study and asked if it could be integrated with an existing company's VR program.

• the integration of voice communication into an existing VR program would require the company to integrate their SDK.

• a Unity plugin, but the integration with an existing VR program would require the company to integrate their plugin into their product.

Hardware and Battery Consumption

• custom hardware, typically Linux or Android devices, can be used for running the recognition locally.

• the battery consumption during recognition, which varies depending on the CPU and typically takes 20 to 60 percent of a single CPU core.

• the impact on battery is negligible for most use cases, except for always-on listening scenarios where ruggedized Android phones with stronger batteries may be required.

• cloud-based services can drain the battery due to Wi-Fi or internet connectivity, making always-on listening in the cloud not feasible.

Voice Recognition and Noise

• the acoustic models used for voice recognition are trained with noisy data to make them more robust.

• background noises are typically not challenging for their SDK, but cross talk, especially in situations with multiple people speaking simultaneously, can be harder to handle.

Supported Languages and Adding New Languages

• the system currently supports English, Spanish, German, and French.

• models optimized for kids' voices in English.

• adding new languages is considered straightforward, requiring a lot of speech data. They are open to adding more languages based on business needs.

Pricing Model

• the company's licensing model and compares it to Azure's pricing model.

• the trade-offs between the two pricing models and highlights the suitability of their product for larger user bases or environments with unreliable internet connectivity.

Vahé Karamian Appointed as VRARA LA Chapter President

We are thrilled to have Vahé Karamian join our team as the VRARA LA Chapter President.

Vahé is the CTO of Noorcon Inc., a consulting firm concentrating on full-stack application and Digital Twin technology development, specializing in delivering enterprise solutions and platform engineering for training in Healthcare, Education, and Manufacturing facilities. Vahé is also a lecturer at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where he lectures on Computer Graphics, HCI (Human Computer Interaction), and Software Engineering. Vahé is also part of several start-up initiatives designing and developing A.I. and Mixed Reality technologies to solve unique problems in healthcare.

“I am honored and excited to be joining VRARA as the LA Chapter President, and look forward to aligning LA with the action and the definitive growth of VR/AR globally.”

— Vahé Karamian

Peter Oykhman, CEO of PsyTechVR, appointed as co-chair of VR/AR Association Healthcare Committee

We are thrilled to have Peter Oykhman help lead our community! Join our weekly online sessions here.

Peter Oykhman is co-founder and CEO of PsyTechVR. PsyTechVR is a Mixed Reality application for Mental Health and Wellness. Peter Oykhman previously has served as CEO of CorePartners, a privately owned company in Frederick, Maryland that offers out of the box Inventory Warehouse Management Software called CoreIMS, CoreAchieve cloud based SaaS Learning Management platform and SAP software development. Peter successfully established his first software development and consulting business that after 2000 market crash has been transformed to CorePartners. Right now Peter is involved in two different enterprises as a board member and an officer. Peter’s exposure to international business over the last 35 years allows him to built efficient organizations. Mr. Oykhman while serving as a board member helped to expand business, find new vendors and clients and cut cost.

“I am excited to co-chair because VRARA plays such an important role in promoting VR/AR solutions across multiple industries and cultures. I have been watching VRARA for the last couple years and very impressed with the impact it has on the industry. ”

— Peter Oykhman, CEO of PsyTechVR

ENGAGE XR Joins the Virtual Reality Augmented Reality Association

ENGAGE XR is thrilled to be a platform sponsor for the Miami Healthcare Summit on Feb 1st and to join the VRARA.

ENGAGE is an education, enterprise and presentation platform that seeks to transform how people share ideas and teach lessons to each other globally by harnessing the power of virtual and spatial computing technologies. ENGAGE is a social learning platform where educators are furnished with the tools they need to enable them to create their own immersive lessons and experiences, transforming how educational content is delivered to their students.

ENGAGE also enables people and businesses to connect in a more intimate way by placing you inside the meeting room and allowing users to collaborate using immersive tools such as virtual whiteboards, presenting screens, spatial recordings and virtual locations. The ENGAGE platform seeks to continuously innovate in the social platform spaces, integrating generative AI and spatial reality experiences to enhance how businesses and educational institutions engage with content, learning, teaching and collaboration.

ENGAGE XR is utilized by top universities and Fortune 500 organizations for the purpose of better engagement, retention of information, and experiencing environments that otherwise wouldn’t be accessible in the real world. Event organizers can host presentations, meetings and workshops inside digital twin locations, educators can teach students about the Roman marketplaces in ancient Rome, and businesses can showcase new products in fully immersive spatial experiences. 

ABOUT ENGAGE XR:

ENGAGE is a SaaS Enterprise advanced spatial computing platform aimed at the professional and academic market. Designed for professionals, event organizers, educators and corporations to build their own virtual worlds, provide metaverse services directly to their own clients, and create new business models.

For more information about ENGAGE, contact info@engageplc.com or visit www.engageplc.com

Announcing the Inaugural VRARA Healthcare Summit

The inaugural VRARA Healthcare Summit in Miami is Feb 1st at the University of Miami Lakeside Village.

The use of XR and AI technology to improve healthcare delivery is rapidly increasing and this conference will provide medical practitioners and technologists who are interested in learning how they can adopt XR and AI to meet directly with medical practitioners and technologist who are using it TODAY!

Below are just some of the Medical Practitioners that are using XR and AI that will be speaking. The conference will be limited to 150 people so that everyone can meet in person.

The conference fees to are only $100 and the technology exhibition is free (no need to register for that).

To see all speakers/details and to register for the conference go to: https://lnkd.in/eDZvc4X2

Dr. Robert Masson: https://lnkd.in/e8stpXgy
Dr. Michael Y. Wang: https://lnkd.in/eGAHrSZJ
Dr. Azizi Seixas : https://lnkd.in/eK7D-BvC
Dr. Giselle Ricur: https://lnkd.in/eJV3haR8
Dr. Greta Mitzova-Vladinov,: https://lnkd.in/eEGS9VBQ
Dr. Jorge Calzada: https://lnkd.in/e-_G2UYh
Dr. Miriam Zylberglait (Dr.Z): https://lnkd.in/e-D3SgCu
Dr. Linda Ciavarelli,: https://lnkd.in/en_vmiGh
Col (Ret) Cheryl Lockhart: https://lnkd.in/ebH_sRsX

Recap of our Healthcare online session with Yale University School of Medicine

During our weekly online sessions, our community (both the end-users and solution providers) share their expertise and experiences. Participants introduce themselves and their companies.

During our Healthcare meet this week, the guest speaker was from Yale University, Randall Rode, and he discussed the challenges of scaling virtual reality (VR) technologies on campus, emphasizing the need to address hardware dependencies and practical integration. He also highlighted the use of VR and Microsoft HoloLens in simulation labs, including solving limited faculty resources and involving art students in creating interactive projects. Challenges in implementing VR technology were discussed, such as faculty engagement and strategic planning. The meeting also touched on different modalities to solve problems, the multi-platform approach, incorporating XR into nursing education, current technology implementation, haptics and VR capabilities, patient education using immersive tech, XR and Gen AI for patient simulation, and the challenges of scaling AR and VR in medicine. Concerns were raised about the usage of HoloLenses, and the decision was made to conduct follow-up workshops and encourage faculty integration.

Topics & Highlights

1. Introductions

• Participants introduced themselves and provided information about their companies and areas of focus.

2. Presenting Guest Speaker

• Alex Dzyuba introduced Randall Rode as the guest speaker, providing information about his role and expertise at Yale University.

3. Scaling Virtual Reality Technologies

• Participants discussed the challenges of scaling virtual reality technologies on campus and the need to address hardware dependencies and practical integration.

4. Using VR and HoloLens in Simulation Labs

• The speaker mentions that none of the students in the simulation lab think they need VR and haptic gloves.

• The speaker gives an example of using Microsoft HoloLens with Azure guides to solve the problem of limited faculty resources and time in teaching basic skills.

• The speaker discusses the importance of finding ways to empower student and faculty creators, such as allowing faculty to create their own content and involving art students in creating interactive projects using CT brain scans.

• The speaker emphasizes the need for social interaction and accessibility in educational VR solutions, as well as the importance of actively connecting different sections of the campus and overcoming silos.

5. Challenges in Implementing VR Technology

• The speaker expresses concerns about faculty engagement and the difficulty of getting them to try new technology.

• The speaker discusses the need to determine who will own the VR technology and the importance of strategic planning.

• The speaker outlines the five aspects to consider when scaling VR technology: technology, content, institutional culture, implementation and system operations, and financial considerations.

• The speaker mentions the peer work they have done and the successful implementation of an XR application in the School of Medicine.

6. Discussion about different modalities to solve a problem

• Participants mentioned that considering it's 25 year old technology, it would have solved the problem. He questioned the fairness of claiming that virtual reality or standard reality can solve the problem. He also questioned the feasibility of a mobile internet version of the same thing.

• Participants mentioned that getting people in the headset is the best way to sell it, but offering other options is crucial. He proposed a continuum of experiences and the need for alternatives for all audiences.

• Participants asked if these other modalities can solve the problem and questioned the applicability of the technology.

• Participants responded that it's not an either-or situation and suggested a continuum of experiences with different levels of convenience and fidelity.

7. Discussion about using multi-platform approach

• Participants asked about using MDM and the multi-platform approach. Randall Rode mentioned looking at HoloLens and Intune for managing the devices. He discussed the need to make decisions regarding deploying quest headsets and providing alternatives for users.

• Multiple speakers discussed the multi-platform approach for consumers of the technology, focusing on managing the devices and providing different experiences.

8. Discussion about incorporating XR into nursing education

• Participants shared his background and experience with exploring XR in nursing education. He mentioned the challenges faced, including the weight of devices and the desire for smart glasses. He questioned whether XR is the primary solution for replacing standardized patients or mannequins.

• Participants expressed concerns about the current limitations of XR technology and raised questions about its effectiveness as a primary solution.

9. Discussion about current technology and its implementation

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of using technology that works today and not waiting for future advancements.

• The speaker discusses the need to find ways to fit technology into the organization's culture and gain faculty support.

• The speaker mentions the AV team as potential advocates for implementing new technology.

10. Discussion on haptics and VR capabilities

• Participants mentioned the importance of having the right tools for specific tasks, such as haptics, and the potential future development of haptic capabilities through XR glasses.

• Participants emphasized the importance of plug and play compatibility of adaptive tools in different facilities.

• Randall Rode discussed the benefits of VR for practicing procedures without the need for haptics, especially for overwhelming experiences in simulation labs or clinical situations.

• Participants shared a research paper that showed the effectiveness of VR in training medical students for surgical procedures and highlighted the importance of learning proper sequences in various fields.

• Participants expressed enthusiasm for educators exploring the strengths and shortcomings of VR as a medium for learning in different domains.

11. Patient Education and Immersive Tech

• Participants discusses her work on creating a content creation management and deployment solution for patient education using immersive tech.

• Randall Rode mentions some early explorations at his institution around patient education and leveraging immersive tech, including support groups in VR.

• Participants shares his unique perspective as a medical student and VR researcher, discussing the potential of VR simulations for medical education, particularly in emergency scenarios like codes.

12. XR and Gen AI for patient simulation

• Participants mentions other companies using Gen AI for patient simulation.

• Participants discusses the ability to modify scenarios on the backend, including medication, allergies, medical history, and voice intonation.

• Participants and others discuss the potential of XR and Gen AI for exams, patient education, and visualizing viruses and pathogens.

13. Challenges of scaling AR and VR in medicine

• Participants raises concerns about the challenges of scaling AR and VR in medicine, including determining appropriate use cases and getting clinicians engaged.

14. HoloLenses Usage

• The team plans to conduct follow-up workshops and encourage faculty to integrate HoloLenses into the curriculum.

XR and AI in Healthcare: Call for Sponsors & Exhibitors for our Feb 1 Summit in Miami

On Feb 1st, we are hosting XR and AI in Healthcare Summit in Miami. If interested to sponsor or exhibit, email info@thevrara.com

The Healthcare industry has been identified as one of the industries that is expected to lead adoption of XR and AI technology. From patient care & medical equipment operations and maintenance, to medical staff training, to improving surgical suite operations, XR and AI technology provides unlimited potential to improve medical staff and facility performance to improve patient outcomes.

This one day conference + expo will bring together medical professionals who are currently using XR and AI technologies, medical professionals looking to learn about the technology, Academia and Medical Technology companies that are developing solutions to address needs of the healthcare industry.

Confirmed Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Speakers already include:

• Dr. Robert Masson, M.D, Masson Spine Institute, Medical Director and Founder

• Colonel (Ret) Cheryl Lockhart, US Air Force and Army National Guard. Former Chief Nurse, Surgeon General Military Nursing Consultant and Army Signal Corp officer

• Dr. Linda Ciavarelli, HouseCall VR, Co-Founder

• Mary Lee Carter, Parker University. Formerly with AdventHealth

• Miles Harper, BEYEONICS. Formerly with Carl Zeiss Meditec AG

• Lynn Welch, Lucid Reality Labs

• Wayne Fogel, Terasynth

• Robert Signore, Co-Founder, Thrive Pavilion Inc

• Dr. Miriam Zylberglait, CEO & Clinical Director, Virtual Wellbeing MD

• Dr. (Col) Paul Kwon, Medical Advisor, U.S. Army PEO STRI. Pediatrician, US Army.

• Kimberly Workum RN, BScN, MEd, CHSE, CCN, University of Manitoba

• Univ of Miami

• Engage

• eXeX

• SimX

• Xennial

• Terasynth

• Cleanbox

• Others

If interested to sponsor or exhibit, email info@thevrara.com

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you in Miami on Feb 1!

Call for Sponsors: Announcing the Inaugural VRARA Healthcare Summit

One of the hottest growth areas for XR and AI technology is in healthcare and the VR/AR Association (VRARA) and the University of Miami Frost Institute for Data Science & Computing are partnering to put on a 1 day conference and expo at the University of Miami campus on February 1, 2024.

Our keynote speaker for this conference is Dr. Robert Masson MD, world renowned surgeon and technology innovator who is also founder and CEO of eXeX, a medtech company that is transforming the surgical industry by leveraging XR and AI technology.

We would like to invite medical professionals, technologists and companies who have experience in deployment of XR and AI in healthcare who want to share that experience to apply to be a speaker.

Call for speakers closes on December 5th. Please email our COO John Cunningham if you are interested .

1249 people from 61 countries joined our Healthcare Forum 2023. See the top speakers and sessions.

Get ready for more healthcare innovations at our Immerse Global Summit in Orlando!

The VRARA Healthcare Forum Provided a Platform for Revolutionizing Healthcare Through Virtual and Augmented Reality

The VR/AR Association (VRARA) hosted it's annual Healthcare Forum, a virtual event comprised of health tech pioneers, industry experts, and healthcare professionals that are dedicated to advancing healthcare through the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies, digital health, medical, and AI.

Our Forum 2023 had 45+ speakers and 1240+ attendees from Microsoft, Bloomberg, Magic Leap, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Merck, Thermo Fisher, Harvard, Edwards, MIT, NYU, CAE, Sony, Intel, Nebraska Medicine, Global Center for Health Security, NYC Health + Hospitals, Meta, Elsevier, Pfizer, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Mayo Clinic, SSM Health, PICO.

Top Speakers, Sessions included:

• VR/AR & AI Technology in Healthcare - With Super Powers come greater Responsibilities - Rafael Grossmann, Surgeon, MD

• How VR/AR and Generative AI will Impact the Future of Healthcare (panel) with Doug Hohulin, Harvey Castro Author of ChatGPT and Healthcare, and Denise Meade, Microsoft

• VR/AR in Healthcare: How to Scale Successful VR/AR Training Programs by David Burch, ArborXR

• TAMP Doctor Innovators (panel) with David Hall, CEO, TAMP and TAMP doctors from around the world

VRARA Healthcare Forum provided the healthcare industry with a unique opportunity to explore the benefits and applications of VR/AR technologies. These technologies offer innovative and immersive experiences that promote patient engagement, accelerate clinical trials, and enhance healthcare outcomes.

How VR and AR Technologies are Revolutionizing Healthcare

VR/AR technologies have brought about a myriad of changes in the healthcare industry. Some of the exciting ways the VR and AR technologies have revolutionized healthcare include:

1. Training Healthcare Professionals

VR and AR technologies offer a safe and immersive environment for training healthcare professionals. These technologies provide them the opportunity to hone their skills and practice managing complex medical scenarios in a realistic environment.

2. Enhanced Patient Experience

The immersive experience that VR provides can promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and aid the rehabilitation of patients. AR technology can help provide patients with interactive and visual aids for better communication and understanding of their medical conditions.

3. Virtual Consultations and Checkups

VR and AR technologies are already being used for virtual consultations and checkups by healthcare providers. This technology enables physicians to conduct remote consultations and checkups with patients in different locations, thus reducing the time and cost associated with travel.

4. Improved Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are an integral part of developing new drugs and treatments for various medical conditions. VR and AR technologies have revolutionized this process by making it possible to conduct realistic and safe simulations using virtual patients, significantly reducing the time and costs of clinical trials.

The VRARA Healthcare Forum: A Platform for Revolutionizing Healthcare

The VRARA Healthcare Forum provided healthcare professionals, researchers, and industry experts with a platform to share their knowledge and insights on the use of VR and AR technologies in healthcare.

This forum brought together healthcare professionals, technology experts, and researchers from around the world to explore the vast potential of virtual and augmented reality technologies in healthcare.

By participating in the VRARA Healthcare Forum, individuals and organizations were able to:

• Connect with like-minded individuals and organizations committed to advancing healthcare through VR and AR technologies.

• Learn and share insights into the latest trends and developments in VR and AR technologies and how they apply to healthcare.

• Access informative and actionable resources that support the application of VR and AR technologies in healthcare.

In conclusion, the VRARA Healthcare Forum was an invaluable opportunity for healthcare professionals, researchers, and industry experts to explore the potential of VR and AR technologies in healthcare. The forum offered a platform for individuals to share their knowledge, connect with like-minded individuals and organizations, and advance healthcare.

Thank you to our forum Sponsors!

Get ready for more healthcare innovations at our Immerse Global Summit in Orlando!

Alicja Jaworska appointed as Co-Chair of the VR/AR Association Healthcare Committee

We are thrilled to have Alicja Jaworska join the leadership for our Healthcare Committee and help guide our community.

“ I am so excited to co-chair the VRARA Healthcare committee. I am passionate about bridging the gap between technology and healthcare. Virtual and Augmented Reality has a lot of potentials to revolutionize many aspects of healthcare, from patient care to medical education. By introducing different vendors, products, and innovations through our monthly meetings, I hope we can share expertise and inspire each other. I look forward to meeting future healthcare leaders and helping prepare the roadmap of the healthcare VRAR system. ”

— Alicja Jaworska

The VRARA Healthcare Committee is committed to creating and sustaining the conditions that enable all healthcare practitioners to facilitate the transformative power of VR/AR to improve patient care worldwide.  We do this through our commitment to educate and unite healthcare providers around the globe on a single mission to disrupt current standards of care. Our Committee is striving to become the number one network providing invaluable in- depth information for anyone looking to engage VR/AR technology for social impact within the realm of healthcare.

Alicja is a Clinical Psychologist, Executive Partner certificated in Coaching and Mentoring at Cambridge Management and Leadership School/ member of the Association for Coaching and Healthcare & Ethics Committee. She focuses on life science, healthcare, and biotech projects and has developed an extensive international network of industry partners and clients, to a large extent, thanks to creating informal groups and knowledge-sharing communities. She was also Head of the Life Science Practice. She likes staying close to the business, asking probing questions, providing honest feedback, and inspiring transformation, helping organisations find the Leaders of tomorrow.

Alicja worked as a Business Manager for a rapidly expanding boutique agency specialising in global healthcare recruitment. She was responsible for business contacts and contracts with hospital HR departments from Saudi Arabia and UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, and Qatar). Alicja also led a multinational team (Ukraine, Egypt, and Turkey) to deliver strategic solutions for the market.

Alicja has an MA in Psychology from the University of Lodz, an M.Sc. in Professional Communication, and an MBA from Clark University, USA.

Alicja is a member of several professional associations, including the British Psychological Society and the psychometric testing body MPA, Health Technology Assessment International, the Worldwide Association of Female Professionals and SHEXO Deloitte. 

Today she is exploring and validating immersive therapies for psychological treatment.

Recap of our VRARA Healthcare Forum 2022: We had 1244 people, 100 orgs, 66 countries. Top Speakers and best attendees.

Thank you to our event sponsors ResMed , ANIMA RES, Aimedis, Vital Start Health.

Our full day virtual event hosted 70+ speakers and sessions discussing the following opportunities:

• The metaverse healthcare sector by 2030 will grow by 48.3% CAGR and be worth $5.37B

• Today, 95% of healthcare facilities provide remote treatment (rise from 43% in 2020). And while not all metaverse healthcare applications are designed for remote care, the sector is now experienced in the rapid adoption of new technologies

• 50M American adults (20%) experienced a mental illness in 2019. Over 2.5M youth struggle with severe depression. (2022 State of Mental Health in America)

• 800,000 people kill themselves each year in the world due to mental illness

• Healthcare metaverse applications range from advanced surgeries and procedures to mental health treatment, pain management, training, simulations, remote care, and rehabilitation.

We had attendees from around the world, 100+ organizations, including ResMed, Bayer, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Harvard, National Institutes of Health, NYU, Siemens Healthineers, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Brain and Memory Care Lab, UK NHS. Many participated the 1-on-1 Networking and made meaningful connections.

Top highlights including top sessions, speakers, and most active participants:

On Oct 28, learn about the Healthcare Metaverse $5B opportunity with Bayer, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Harvard, many others!

On Oct 28, login to our VRARA Healthcare Forum, a full day virtual event, as we will have 40+ Speakers discussing the following opportunities:

• The metaverse healthcare sector by 2030 will grow by 48.3% CAGR and be worth $5.37B (TechRepublic)

• Today, 95% of healthcare facilities provide remote treatment (rise from 43% in 2020). And while not all metaverse healthcare applications are designed for remote care, the sector is now experienced in the rapid adoption of new technologies (Forbes)

• 50M American adults (20%) experienced a mental illness in 2019. Over 2.5M youth struggle with severe depression. (2022 State of Mental Health in America)

• 800,000 people kill themselves each year in the world due to mental illness

• Healthcare metaverse applications range from advanced surgeries and procedures to mental health treatment, pain management, training, simulations, remote care, and rehabilitation.

We expect 1000+ attendees from around the world, 100+ organizations, including ResMed, Bayer, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Harvard, National Institutes of Health. Get to meet 1-on-1 with the speakers and attendees during our famous Networking!

Additional speakers and sessions include:

• Immersive Mental Health Innovation with NYU, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Brain and Memory Care Lab, UK NHS

• Immersive Learning Innovations with Siemens Healthineers

• And 40+ more speakers and sessions, check Schedule here

Deadlines

Oct 20 - Last chance to become a Speaker. Click on Apply to Speak here

Oct 27 - last chance to become a Sponsor. Reply to this email asap.

VRARA Healthcare Forum Sponsors

Thank you ResMed for sponsoring our event!

Become our Sponsor! Click on Apply to Sponsor here

Dr. Sana Farid of Munfarid appointed Co-Chair of VRARA Healthcare Committee

We are thrilled to have Dr. Sana Farid, a General Surgeon, Co-Founder & CEO at Munfarid, President MENA Chapter, and Co-Chair Healthcare Committee to provide her thought-leadership to help accelerate the industry for us all.

Dr. Sana Farid is a zealous Healthcare provider, she is a General Surgeon, Educator, and strives to utilize Futuristic Technologies to improve Healthcare practices.

As a co-founder of Munfarid, Dr. Sana leads one of the pioneers and spearheading XR companies in the region. Munfarid is an elegant concoction of dedication and empowerment via disruptive intelligence. Discovering and implementing revolutionary Immersive applications for Educational, Training, and Healthcare industries.

Her ingenious vision led to the foundation of the VRARA MENA Chapter helping to expand, reach, and connect ingenious XR experts and enthusiasts.

At her new role as Co-Chair of the Healthcare Committee, Dr. Sana aspires to augment the scope of XR in patient care, impacts the lives of millions in developing countries, builds industry standards for XR in Healthcare, and make the world a better place.

“Immersive Tech, intelligent connectivity coupled with human interaction are opening new doors for major revolutions in the Healthcare industry, from hands-on training, clinical skills development, patient education, and awareness, as well as therapeutic uses. The future of healthcare is technology-oriented.

We are truly living in revolutionary times for healthcare thanks to the advent of digital health, and to drive such innovations, the VRAR Association is working incessantly, bringing the global XR communities closer together enabling a robust and fruitful interaction between like-minded entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts and a chance to learn and acquire knowledge from each other.

Our mission at the Healthcare committee will be to spread the knowledge and developments in healthcare which will usher the real era of the Healthcare industry” 

- Dr. Sana Farid

VRARA Healthcare Report 2020 featuring 50 companies and startups (Download Report)

Download report

Healthcare Report 2020 downloads

This Healthcare Industry Sector Report includes a wide range of companies and startups and the kinds of customers they serve, showing how impactful their VR and AR solutions have become to healthcare customers.

Given the world’s current pandemic situation where there are travel restrictions and the increased need for remote and virtual healthcare (i.e, virtual clinics), training and the reskilling of millions in the workforce, it is now more important than ever for companies to have healthcare ready, easy to deploy digital solutions. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality have proven to show value within many critical healthcare verticals including training, surgery, wellbeing, etc.

There are plenty of other examples and predictions that demonstrate the importance of VR and AR to forward-thinking healthcare in the immediate future. Successful trials (and increasing number of deployments) of VR and AR in healthcare are getting the competitors of early adopters companies to start recognizing that they may be missing out on the real strategic advantage they can achieve.

Foreword by 4dmed.ltd

I picked up the phone and heard my long-time client Sam say, “How do I slow down the clients coming in? I can’t keep up!” As we know that this virus has forced us to stay at homes and medical students, doctors and trainees are not able to go to their respective places. It is not just about the medical field, this pandemic has affected all without any discrimination. During these hard times, we are providing efficient ways to train the healthcare professionals. 4DMEDLtd is medical software and medical device Development Company that designs interfaces for the health care education research.

With the help of this platform, you will pass through these tough times.We have used the VR technology to help the VR industry achieve its target of training people. 4DMED has created a library so that people can achieve best health program for their environment. Cloud has started two programs; one is to train the surgeons virtually via senior trainers and the other is to train junior trainees, nurses and medical students. 4DMED products includes a simulator which offers double screen feature to keep the trainees engaged and help them learn quickly.Complete surgeries can be practiced at increasing levels of difficulty, so that the trainees get all the experience. 4DMED has also designed a software suite of virtual reality for the medical training sector. It will help reduce the human error and will assist the VR industry.

This virtual reality platform created will help the seniors with improved mental health as well as physical health due to continuous movement of body while usingVR. Discussions among the seniors will provide residents with much useful information; which is necessary for a happy community.4DMED advanced software and hardware technology will help medical professionals to experience real life surgical simulation. VR headset and touch sensor helps the user to interact with virtual operation rooms. This real life experience fills the communication gap and also increases the decision making of the medical staff.

4DMEDoffers a wide range of simulator technologies depending up on the objectives of respective medical professional. This virtual technology creates a realistic training environment for the medical professionals. We are playing our part for the VR industry by using the virtual reality technology to teach different universities and colleges from around the globe. It includes universities of Canada, USA, Europe, Asia, and Middle East. The purpose of using this technology to assist people in training and making their lives normal during this rough time.AugmentedReality and Virtual Reality have proven to show value within many critical healthcare verticals including training, surgery, wellbeing, etc.

Dr Nevil Chimon

Director of 4DMed ltd

Foreword by Dark Slope

THE FUTURE OF LEARNING IS IMMERSIVE. This belief is at the core of Dark Slope’s Involve XR platform; a technology that has been built to empower instructors and training organizations to migrate their scenario training programs in to the virtual world.

It is impossible to ignore the ways our world has transformed seemingly overnight. Entire industries have had to contend with what we’re now referring to as our new reality. We’ve heard the phrases “pivot,” “adapt” and “innovate”more in the last four months than cumulatively over the past two years. Alongside this up heaval we have seen how the pandemic has single handedly accelerated the adoption of ‘emerging’ technologies like VR and AR. Most importantly we have caught a glimpse of how these technologies can play a critical and transformational role in up skilling today’s workforce and in training the next generation of health care workers.

Immersive learning will revolutionize how we train for high-risk jobs in the healthcare and safety fields, and how we most effectively arm doctors, nurses and first responders with critical skills best learned through practice. Dark Slope’s InvolveXR empowers training organizations to extend their offerings into VR and AR, allowing them to train remotely in live virtual classes with live ICU,ER, de-escalation, and other critical skill scenarios.

We recently announced our partnership withTheAmerican College of Chest Physicians(CHEST). Basedon CHEST’s curriculums we’re set to develop a complete virtual reality training program on intubation techniques and best practices that will be made available through our learning platform InvolveXR. Of course, airway procedures and intubation are topics at the forefront of critical care training right now, and we hope our technology can play a role in equipping critical care workers with skills and protocols they need to better combatCOVID-19.The training itself consists of live virtual scenario training, in fully immersive and interactive ICU environments with a trainer and other live learners present. Physicians and other critical care workers will engage with dynamic, team-based, true-to-life training scenarios on intubation procedures.

In this precarious time virtual simulation is emerging as a key pillar of support for healthcare workers, offering realistic experiences in safe, remote environments, effectively expediting the deployment of new skills and protocols, while reducing costs for simulation training. With all the healthcare industry challenges this year has brought, the responses to XR training has been reassuring. COVID-19 has underlined our belief in the massive potential of virtual learning and the ability to use these technologies to create amore skilled healthcare workforce, delivering better patient outcomes.

Raja Khanna

CEO, DarkSlope