Furthermore, specialized training programs are required to prepare medical personnel both professionally and mentally for missions in crisis situations. The simulation of realistic scenarios is essential for this. Current training methods such as real simulations and virtual reality (VR) training can only represent a fraction of the necessary scenarios (real simulation), and medical procedures can rarely be trained convincingly. VR training lacks, among other things, important haptic feedback.
Mixed reality (MR) technologies offer an efficient solution for cost-effective training and increasing the realism and effectiveness of training simulations. MR enables a combination of visual and haptic components, allowing realistic scenarios such as trauma care or polytrauma to be simulated. This requires the precise positioning of physical objects—such as training mannequins and medical equipment—in MR training to obtain the essential haptic feedback.
The goal of HapticallyMR is to develop an innovative, cost-effective, location-independent, mobile, and scalable haptic mixed reality (HMR) learning environment in which trainees can learn how to care for emergency patients in a realistic setting in a simulated crisis area. To ensure haptic feedback, an advanced simulation manikin is being developed that is located using physically integrated sensor technology and integrated into the HMR learning environment. Furthermore, medical equipment is integrated into the training using sensor technology. This is intended to close the gap between traditional training methods and the requirements of modern, realistic emergency and trauma training. Dynamically adaptable simulations and the provision of haptic feedback are intended to increase flexibility and improve the quality of training. Apart from haptic feedback and thus the possibility of training medical procedures realistically, HapticallyMR also allows trainees to move freely and enables several trainees to work together in the same scenario. A trainer interface allows trainers to adapt the scenario to the trainees' level of training and control the training in real time (e.g., adjusting vital parameters, setting stressors, adjusting injury patterns).
The users will be increasingly involved in all phases of the project. The HMR learning environment will be evaluated together with them in several iterations with regard to training effectiveness and suitability. Furthermore, a training concept and, based on this, an education concept for enabling curricular integration into training programs will be developed together with the users.
Lead
Elisabeth Bronder
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
Giefinggasse 4, 1210 Wien
Elisabeth.broneder(at)ait.ac.at
+43 664 8251374
www.ait.ac.at
Partners
Mindconsole GmbH
ÖRK - Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz
BMLV – Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung
