City, University of London to open UK’s largest AR/VR design learning center in partnership with ARuVR
The partnership will provide the UK’s largest bespoke Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Metaverse design training center.
Business AnnouncementIMAGE: ARUVR DEMONSTRATION AT CITY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON view more
CREDIT: JOHN STEVENSON, CITY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
City, University of London has entered into a three-year partnership with ARuVR, a multi-award winning end-to-end, enterprise-grade Extended Reality (XR) training platform to provide its award-winning technology and expertise to engineering, computer science and applied mathematics undergraduate and postgraduate students within the School of Science and Technology, at what will be the UK’s largest bespoke Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Metaverse design training centre.
Officially opening in September 2023, with funding from the Office for Students (OFS), this new state-of-the-art facility will train up to 50 students simultaneously to become the next generation of ethical tech pioneers in the field of augmented and virtual reality and its applications in engineering, computer science and applied mathematics. The development of skills in VR and AR as well as the Metaverse is seen as a key skill shortage by industry and the new facility is as a direct result of demand from the City, University of London’s industry and business partners who are seeking talent with advanced skills in this sector.
The STEM skills gap costs £1.5bn per year in the UK (IMechE, 2018). Without access to modern, cutting-edge facilities and the means of flexible learning in an ever-demanding world it is unlikely the skills gap can be addressed in the higher education sector. The Interactive Ethical Learning Design Studio will provide a practical space to innovate and practice new industrial processes to deliver social and economic value. It will transform and grow the City, University of London’s specialist teaching and research capability in engineering, computer science and mathematics. The facility will also be used by students and researchers from the School of Health and Psychological Sciences and the School of Communication and Creativity.
Professor Rajkumar Roy, Executive Dean, School of Science & Technology (SST) City, University of London, said:
Our partnership with ARuVR enables us to provide students with a scalable, cloud-based industry-leading AR and VR rapid application building platform which will help them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of business across multiple sectors. This partnership goes beyond just providing the technology, ARuVR will provide on-going expertise and guidance as well as real-world industry experience and practice which is invaluable as our students progress in their studies and their career.
As well as providing its AR and VR training platform, which allows students to easily create compelling content and uniquely allow trainers to simultaneously interact with multiple students all while in a virtual world, ARuVR will also provide the AR/VR hardware as a complete solution, jointly fund a place for a PhD student, provide consultancy to ‘train the trainers’ and provide practical work placements for students.
Frank Furnari, CEO & Founder, ARuVR, said:
“AR, VR and Mixed Reality is a powerful learning and development tool which is being embraced by enterprises world-wide. We are delighted to support the foresight of the City, University of London in creating not just the UK’s largest AR and VR ethical learning design centre, but also the most technically advanced. Additionally, ARuVR will provide support and insight for students as they research and design projects as well as providing industry work placements to give them real-world experience.”
Visit Jefferson Lab on a self-guided virtual adventure
Jefferson Lab invites viewers to choose their own adventure with its new self-paced, virtual tour tool
Business AnnouncementIMAGE: TAKE A SELF-GUIDED VIRTUAL TOUR OF JEFFERSON LAB! view more
CREDIT: DOE'S JEFFERSON LAB
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at a world-renowned research center for nuclear physics, now’s your chance to find out! With an interactive map, viewers can now virtually visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.
Using the interactive map tool, trek through the lab’s different research areas at your own pace. Each map location features an accompanying video. These videos are part of a virtual series that takes viewers on a journey through Jefferson Lab’s world-leading subatomic particle research. The tool allows visitors to learn how more than 1,850 nuclear physicists worldwide explore the nature of matter.
The map offers a custom-tailored tour through the world-class Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF). CEBAF is a DOE Office of Science user facility and underground “racetrack” that blasts beams of electrons at nearly the speed of light at carefully chosen targets inside its experimental halls. Here, you can learn about the lab’s groundbreaking research inside the nucleus of the atom and view the incredible equipment that makes it all work. For instance, you can take a peek inside each of CEBAF’s four experimental halls. Inside these halls, the accelerator's electrons impact targets for nuclear physics experiments.
Additionally, viewers can virtually tour Jefferson Lab’s internationally acclaimed superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) technology in the SRF Institute. The SRF Institute is the first facility to successfully implement a large-scale application of SRF accelerating technology and capabilities. Here, you can discover how researchers use SRF technology to improve beam quality and lower energy consumption in subatomic particle experimentation.
The virtual experience also offers a glimpse into the lab’s cryogenics department. It features two of the world’s largest superfluid helium refrigerators housed in the rarely accessible Central Helium Liquefier. Learn why cryogenic refrigeration is critical to many of the technologies that enable research at Jefferson Lab. Find out how these unique systems work to create temperatures colder than the vast reaches of outer space.
Rounding out the tour is a preview of the advanced computing systems that support the lab’s exploration of matter at every stage. Virtually visit the data center, the hub of the lab’s advanced computing programs.
This is a unique opportunity for you to explore the lab’s incredible, internationally acclaimed facilities from the comfort of your own home, at your own pace!
Further Reading
Explore the Interactive Map and take a self-guided tour of the lab’s facilities
Take a Family Field Trip with Jefferson Lab’s 2021 Virtual Tour Video
By Skyler Tolzien-Orr
-end-
Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.
DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.
The invention of Lithuanian scientists: a virtual post-stroke assistant for rehabilitation
The innovation created by the team of Lithuanian scientists is a VR-based rehabilitation system, a VR technology without the VR world and glasses
Peer-Reviewed PublicationIMAGE: THE INNOVATION CREATED BY THE TEAM OF LITHUANIAN SCIENTISTS IS A VR-BASED REHABILITATION SYSTEM view more
CREDIT: KTU
Some years ago, virtual reality (VR) systems were associated only with games and leisure in three-dimensional virtual space. Today, VR is used in various fields. The innovation created by the team of Lithuanian scientists is a VR-based rehabilitation system, a VR technology without the VR world and glasses.
According to statistics, in the European Union, stroke is the second most common cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability.
Recently, a team of researchers at the Kaunas University of Technology, Faculty of Informatics, led by Rytis Maskeliūnas, presented iTrain, an interactive game designed to care for people after a stroke. While the iTrain game allows the patient to experience patient care in a virtual environment and teaches other essential aspects, BiomacVR, an innovation of Lithuanian scientists, focuses on patient rehabilitation and the goal of getting the person back on their feet as quickly as possible.
“It is a rehabilitation system with a very simple operation: the person performing the exercises puts the VR sensors on their hands and tries to perform the movements as accurately as possible. With the help of these sensors, the method detects very precisely what the patient is doing in three-dimensional space and reproduces their posture and movements, forming a virtual replica of the person performing the exercises. The doctor can observe and view the exercise from all sides on his monitor and assess it as if the patient was exercising right next to them,” says Maskeliūnas about the system.
According to Maskeliūnas, the integration of virtual reality into physical therapy is an innovation that will allow patients to focus on the task at hand and perform it correctly. The software enables the patient to study and adjust the exercises, which ensures an effective healing and rehabilitation process.
Rehabilitation after stroke
According to Aušra Adomavičienė, a researcher at Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine (VU MF), one of the most common complications in people who have suffered a stroke is an impaired motor function, which is characterised by weakness of the upper and lower limb muscles, spasms, and impaired balance and coordination.
“To match a virtual person with a real patient, we use the person’s height and the length of their arms and legs, which we input into the system. Using this information, the system assesses the centre of each joint being monitored,” says Maskeliūnas about the rehabilitation process.
The system can show deviation and indicate if exercises are not being performed correctly. KTU researcher Maskeliūnas highlights that usually, the incorrect execution of the exercises is a result of an injury or stroke.
Adomavičienė agrees, saying that after a stroke when the muscles of both the upper and lower limbs are weakened, the patient’s independence in every day and work activities – mobility, self-service, social activity – is impaired. As a result, without sufficient upper limb muscle strength, patients have difficulty eating, dressing or writing, while lower limb motor impairment affects the patient’s gait and slows down their walking speed, not only reducing physical activity but also increasing the risk of falls.
The researchers note that the time and potential for recovery varies greatly from patient to patient, and requires a lot of effort, work and expertise. Nevertheless, patients who use the VR system are more engaged in the tasks and strive to complete them as accurately as possible; also, they enjoy seeing the limits of their achievements, feel in control of the situation, and can adjust their movements during the exercise – speed, accuracy and exertion.
So far, the study is limited to stroke patients, but the researchers say that the system could later be adapted for the rehabilitation of patients with other conditions.
Motivates the patient
The recently published study of Lithuanian scientists presents findings from eight commonly used physical education situations from the stroke rehabilitation methodology.
The team emphasises that the introduction and use of new technologies during rehabilitation enables the patient to be involved in the rehabilitation process, develops their imagination and allows them to actively pursue better outcomes.
“By monitoring the results of the virtual feedback, the rehabilitation specialist can discuss with the patient the difficulties experienced during the session, adjust the programme and correct mistakes. The study revealed that by working together and discussing the progress and difficulties of the exercises, the specialist and the patient formulate common goals and discuss the limits of achievement. Also, the patient is more actively involved in the rehabilitation process and becomes a motivated and active participant in the process,” says Adomavičienė.
According to the team, this involvement of patients in the rehabilitation process and their ability to take control of the situation and feel able to influence their health outcomes is a very important factor in achieving higher outcomes. Especially, when rehabilitation takes place in the patient’s comfort zone – at home.
“The main advantage of this system is that a person can do everything at home, not just in the health care facility, and their progress can be monitored by the doctor remotely, by viewing the recording or by studying the indications of the system,” says Maskeliūnas.
The KTU scientist hopes that in the future, the system could be subsidised as rehabilitation equipment, thus increasing the accessibility and convenience of medical resources.
JOURNAL
Electronics
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Experimental study
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
Not applicable
ARTICLE TITLE
BiomacVR: A Virtual Reality-Based System for Precise Human Posture and Motion Analysis in Rehabilitation Exercises Using Depth Sensors
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