VR/AR-based Explorer for Medical Education

With the establishment of smartphones and tablet computers in large parts of our society, new possibilities are emerging to convey knowledge in a vivid way. Many of the newer devices also make it possible to create immersive virtual reality (VR) or to enrich reality with virtual elements in the form of augmented reality. Such VR/AR-based environments are already used in a variety of training scenarios, especially in pilot training, but are based on stationary, high-priced components, e.g. VR caves, and require special stationary VR/AR hardware.

This project aims to investigate VR/AR solutions for basic medical education based on the use of affordable mobile input devices. The aim is to give learners access to this new form of digital knowledge transfer. The virtual contents are to be linked directly with existing textbooks in order to enrich them didactically and to supplement them meaningfully with digital media. Within the scope of this project, the project partners would like to concentrate on basic medical training, in particular on conveying medical-technical knowledge in anatomy and surgery. In addition, a software will be developed which enables teachers to create new learning scenarios themselves with the help of an authoring tool.