Using Virtual Reality, Artificial Limbs to "CONVEY" the Power of STEM
From: Wireless Design Magazine - 09/06/2017
By: Warren Duffie Jr

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) - America's largest
university-affiliated research center - held a series of science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM) workshops recently at Walter Reed National
Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. The workshops targeted students
whose parents are current or former military personnel, and highlighted the
science behind prosthetic limbs.

Johns Hopkins APL created Connecting STEM Outreach Now Using Virtual
Integration Environment (VIE) Education for Youth (CONVEY) through its STEM
program to educate children about prosthetic limbs - using virtual- and
augmented-reality technology - and spark an interest in future STEM careers.

CONVEY combines specialized software developed by Johns Hopkins APL with
commercially available technology - like the Oculus Rift virtual-reality
headset and Microsoft HoloLens augmented-reality headset - to teach children
about biology, anatomy and engineering.

During the recent workshops, middle and high school participants used the
Oculus Rift to manipulate virtual prosthetic limbs, play computer-generated
games like darts and ping pong, and move objects around. They wore the
HoloLens headset to study 3-D representations of the human brain, nervous
system and muscle groups. Students also learned how new, cutting-edge
prosthetics incorporate advanced microcircuits to restore the use of limbs
and allow amputees greater control and utility.

Read the entire article at:
https://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/news/2017/09/using-virtual-reality-artificial-limbs-convey-power-stem
https://www.pddnet.com/news/2017/09/using-virtual-reality-artificial-limbs-convey-power-stem

Links:
Using Virtual Reality to Teach Kids of Servicemen and Women about Prosthetics (video 2:00)
https://youtu.be/ifyCogPldK8

CONVEY
http://www.jhuapl.edu/CONVEY/index.html

APL Prosthetics
http://www.jhuapl.edu/prosthetics