Hey folks, here's something pretty amazing from Down Under! The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care just announced that it's using virtual reality tech to help people recover from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) — you know, those really tough injuries that can happen from things like strokes, heart attacks, or car crashes.
Usually, recovery involves a lot of exercises that can be repetitive and, let's face it, not the most exciting. But these exercises are crucial for recovery. Thanks to VR, though, it's a whole new ball game. Enter Neuromersiv, a company that's developed this cool system called Ulysses VR Upper Limb Therapy System. Imagine putting on the best VR headset and doing your therapy in a fun, immersive world.
Here's the kicker: this isn't just any VR setup. We're talking Meta Quest 2 headsets, haptic gloves, and even this fancy technology — electrical stimulation (FES) — that stimulates your muscles. It's like tricking your brain into relearning how to move your arms and hands by playing games.
And you know what's cool? Even though the Quest 2 isn't the latest model since the Quest 3 hit the market, it's awesome to see it still making a huge impact in areas like healthcare and rehabilitation.
Anshul Dayal, the Chief executive at Neuromersiv, says once you're in the VR world, you're so hooked you want to keep going. It's like gaming, but you're actually healing at the same time. And guess what? The Australian government is so into this, that it threw nearly a million bucks to help make it happen.
Anshul Dayal states:
As soon as the person puts on the headset, they are totally immersed, Like with gamers, dopamine kicks in and they want to keep going. So VR creates the motivation to keep doing your therapy. That can lead to better function recovery.
What's really mind-blowing is how this system works. If you're trying to do something like brush your teeth in VR but can't quite grab that virtual toothbrush, the gloves give you a little electrical nudge to help out. It's all about retraining your brain and muscles to work together again.
Anshul also added:
If the survivor is trying to brush their teeth in virtual reality but they just can’t grab the virtual toothbrush, the FES can assist with the grabbing action by stimulating flexion of the wrist and fingers. This stimulation creates a feedback loop that can be a catalyst for the brain to form new neural pathways to recover lost function. This is often referred to as brain neuroplasticity and is the key to long-term functional recovery
Anshul is pretty proud of this setup, and he's not just keeping it in Australia. He's taking it to the UK too. And why not? It's a groundbreaking combo of VR, muscle stimulation, and sensory feedback. So next time you hear about VR, remember it's not just for games — it's helping people get their lives back after some pretty serious injuries.
"Image source -- Neuromersiv
Now, let me tell you, it wasn't a walk in the park for the team to get here. They faced some real head-scratchers, especially with the VR headset cameras. You see, it initially had a bit of a hiccup with the hand-tracking tools because of the haptic gloves they developed. But, like true champs, they hustled through user testing and tweaks to get it just right.
But Neuromersiv isn't alone in this VR health revolution. Companies worldwide, like Rocket VR, Virti, OssoVR, and Rendever, are exploring VR to treat patients. Even Penumbra in the US teamed up with HTC VIVE to offer cutting-edge VR therapy solutions.(Vis XR Today)
So, what's the big deal with VR in healthcare? It's all about transforming the way we do therapy. It's not just about getting better; it's about enjoying the journey to recovery. That's the kind of future we might see with VR in healthcare: exciting, innovative, and totally game-changing!
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