Virtual Reality News and Research

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Cell phones dangerous for child pedestrians

Children who talk on cell phones while crossing streets are at a higher risk for injuries or death in a pedestrian accident, said psychologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in a new study that will appear in the February issue of Pediatrics.

27 Jan 2009

Use of robot and VR system improves walking post-stroke

Patients who've had a stroke and were rehabilitated using a robot to navigate virtual reality environments walked faster and a greater distance following physical therapy compared to those trained with the robot alone, according to researchers at the UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions.

9 Jan 2009

Sun and surf among top summer hazards for Australians

An Australian expert has warned that among the top ten hazards for people in Australia this summer the beach culture plays a big role.

6 Jan 2009

System to recognize human gestures

A system that can recognize human gestures could provide a new way for people with physical disabilities to interact with computers.

18 Dec 2008

Scientists produce illusion of body-swapping

Cognitive neuroscientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet (KI) have succeeded in making subjects perceive the bodies of mannequins and other people as their own.

3 Dec 2008

New colorectal module from Simbionix advances laparoscopic cancer treatment

Simbionix USA Corp, an international company using leading edge simulation to advance clinical performance, announces the world-wide release of a breakthrough training simulation of the laparoscopic colorectal procedure.

26 Nov 2008

$2 million computer will help unravel major medical ailments

A federal grant will allow Johns Hopkins researchers to purchase a powerful $2 million computer that will speed up their efforts to find new ways to diagnose and treat brain disease, heart illnesses, cancer and other medical ailments.

16 Jul 2008

Men and women react differently to temptation

Temptation may be everywhere, but it's how the different sexes react to flirtation that determines the effect it will have on their relationships. In a new study, psychologists determined men tend to look at their partners in a more negative light after meeting a single, attractive woman. On the other hand, women are likelier to work to strengthen their current relationships after meeting an available, attractive man.

15 Jul 2008

SnowWorld, an interactive, virtual-reality video game helps burn patients with pain relief

To a patient recovering from severe burns, no place would be more soothing than a polar landscape of gently falling snowflakes, snowmen, penguins, igloos and icy rivers.

19 Mar 2008

Researchers discover second depth-perception method in brain

It's common knowledge that humans and other animals are able to visually judge depth because we have two eyes and the brain compares the images from each.

17 Mar 2008

Virtual reality therapy for stroke patients

Israeli hospitals have recently started to use virtual reality therapy for stroke patients.

11 Mar 2008

Help with getting off the couch

It's only been a few weeks since you made that New Year's resolution to exercise more, but already you're finding reasons to skip days - maybe even weeks.

10 Jan 2008

Children with apoE4 gene show reduced cognitive function

Children who possess a gene known to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease already show signs of reduced cognitive function, an Oregon Health & Science University study has found.

6 Nov 2007

Head and neck cancer may impair driving ability

A preliminary study suggests that patients with cancer in the head and neck region may have inferior performance in some driving skills compared with individuals without the disease, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

18 Sep 2007

Scientists induce out-of-body-like experiences

Using virtual reality goggles to mix up the sensory signals reaching the brain, scientists have induced out-of-body-like experiences in healthy people, suggesting a scientific explanation for a phenomenon often thought to be a figment of the imagination.

24 Aug 2007

Restless legs syndrome simulator

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) remains a common, yet often undiagnosed, neurological sensorimotor disorder, despite many years of research and increased disease recognition.

20 Jul 2007

Surgeons and robots linked via 4,000 mile Internet connection

Robotic surgery may be coming to your town. Robots that perform surgery can be driven by surgeons who no longer stand by the patient, but direct the operation from a computer console. In most cases the surgeon is seated at a console within the theatre, only a few metres away from the patient.

8 Jun 2007

Virtual Iraq provides better understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder

Weill Cornell Medical College researchers are using a virtual reality simulation called "Virtual Iraq" to better understand how symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develop.

17 May 2007

Virtual reality device helps multiple sclerosis patients walk

Technion-Israel Institute of Technology scientists have created a virtual reality device that combines auditory and visual feedback to improve walking speed and stride length in patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease.

1 May 2007

Virtual Iraq to aid traumatised soldiers and military staff

The virtual Iraq simulation, developed at the University of Southern California (USC) but now being put into practice at Reading, is "fully-immersive" and designed as part of an exposure therapy programme which allows soldiers suffering post-traumatic stress disorder to relive and confront psychological trauma - and it has produced promising results for the first handful of patients treated.

1 Mar 2007