As part of my ongoing series on Extended Reality (XR), I will look at Augmented Reality (AR) and how it is being used at other universities. AR uses a device such as a headset, glasses, or even a cell phone or tablet to superimpose digital images or information over the real world. For example, a user wearing special glasses in an art museum to receive enhanced information about a painting they are viewing or using their cell phone to get walking directions to a location in a city they are not familiar with.
Wayne State University recently ran a pilot program to investigate the use of AR to help treat phobias. The program used augmented reality headsets (Microsoft’s HoloLens system) to place digital images of spiders into a room with a participant with arachnophobia. A clinician using specialized software was able to control several variables, including the type of spider and its size, color, motion, and speed. Throughout the program, the participants were put through varying levels of exposure to the spiders and various settings, from large open spaces to dark confined spaces. The project team plans to test similar use of AR technology in treating other phobias such as dogs and large crowds.
Professor Paul Mensink of Western University in London, Ontario, Canada, uses AR to allow his students to study the physiology and anatomy of the basking shark, the second largest fish in the ocean. Using technology from EXAR Studios, the professor brings the shark into the classroom, allowing the students to walk around it to get a feel for its size and study its external anatomy. Students will then be miniaturized and swallowed by the shark so they can examine it from the inside. The professor hopes to enhance learning and engagement by giving students an experience they can’t get any other way.
Dr. Safdar Khan, an orthopedic spine surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, uses AR to assist in minimally invasive spine implant procedures. Using the Augmedics xvision system, the surgeons use an AR headset to superimpose an image of the patient’s spine onto the patient’s back while on the operating table. The system also shows the location of surgical tools in real-time as the surgery is taking place, allowing the surgeon to be more precise and use smaller incisions. It also allows the surgical team to operate more efficiently, shortening the length of the surgery and decreasing the use of anesthesia.
These are a few examples of how universities are using AR technology to increase learning and engagement and improve areas outside of education.
References
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. (2021, September 14). Ohio State offers augmented reality spine surgery, a first in Ohio. Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/mediaroom/pressreleaselisting/ohio-state-offers-augmented-reality-spine-surgery
Sommeran, S. R. V. (2022, January 25). Western Prof gets students to swim with sharks, virtually. University Affairs. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/western-prof-gets-students-to-swim-with-sharks-virtually/
