by European Association of Urology Being immersed in a stunning ‘virtual’ Icelandic landscape can reduce the pain caused by uncomfortable medical procedures, new research has found. The study compared patients with and without virtual reality (VR) headsets having rigid cystoscopies, where a rigid telescope is inserted through the urethra into the bladder. The research is being presented today...
Category: <span>Virtual Reality</span>
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Researchers record brainwaves to measure ‘cybersickness’
by Maria Herd, University of Maryland A test subject experiences a potentially stomach-churning virtual reality fly-through of a space station while her brain activity is monitored. Credit: Maryland Blended Reality Center If a virtual world has ever left you feeling nauseous or disorientated, you’re familiar with cybersickness, and you’re hardly alone. The intensity of virtual reality...
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Virtual reality boosts brain rhythms crucial for neuroplasticity, learning and memory
by University of California, Los Angeles Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new discovery in rats shows that the brain responds differently in immersive virtual reality environments versus the real world. The finding could help scientists understand how the brain brings together sensory information from different sources to create a cohesive picture of the world around us....
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Meet Virtual Reality, Your New Physical Therapist
Michael Heinrich, who lost the use of the lower half of his body after an accident, undergoes virtual reality therapy. “From an emotional standpoint, coming off an injury where I lost the majority of the use of my body, V.R. pushed the boundaries of what I thought was possible,” he said. Credit…Michigan Medicine By Alina...
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Simple foot-buzzing tech simulates the feel of walking in VR worlds
By Ben Coxworth April 21, 2021 A user tries the system in two different modes – one in which the mirror reflection of their avatar shows its whole body, and one in which only its hands and feet are visible Toyohashi University of Technology/The University of Tokyo Although there are rigs that allow gamers to walk on the...
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Virtual reality could help to reduce pain for people with nerve injuries
by Amy King, University of Plymouth Credit: CC0 Public Domain We all feel physical pain in different ways, but people with nerve injuries often have a dysfunctional pain suppression system, making them particularly prone to discomfort. Now researchers have uncovered that virtual reality (VR) can reduce types of pain typically seen in patients with nerve injuries—and...
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Virtual training gives young adults with autism stronger interview skills to obtain jobs
by University of Michigan Credit: University of Michigan Young adults with autism spectrum disorder boosted their interviewing skills using a virtual reality training program, according to a new University of Michigan study. The virtual training sessions and separate preemployment assistance also significantly reduced anxiety and improved their access to jobs within six months compared to their...
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Virtual reality helping to treat fear of heights
by University of Basel In the virtual reality app, users gradually rise to greater heights and can indicate the degree of their fear at each level. Credit: Bentz et al., npj Digital Medicine 2021 Researchers from the University of Basel have developed a virtual reality app for smartphones to reduce fear of heights. Now, they have...
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Center for BrainHealth researchers create virtual reality cognitive assessment
CENTER FOR BRAINHEALTH Virtual reality isn’t just for gaming. Researchers can use virtual reality, or VR, to assess participants’ attention, memory and problem-solving abilities in real world settings. By using VR technology to examine how folks complete daily tasks, like making a grocery list, researchers can better help clinical populations that struggle with executive functioning to manage...
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A metalens for virtual and augmented reality
HARVARD JOHN A. PAULSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCES IMAGE: A metalens fabricated on 2-inch glass wafer (left) and a scanning fiber mounted through a piezo tube (right). The fiber tip locates within the focal length of the metalens. Light travels along the fiber and emits out from the scanning fiber tip, where a...