For many years, healthcare delivery entailed the physical interaction between a patient and physician as a means to receive a diagnosis, medical treatment, or operative care. This changed slightly with the advent of telehealth, which delivered the patient-physician relationship through digital means and the internet.
But these paradigms are now at the cusp of an even larger, more monumental form of unprecedented disruption, as augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) are quickly bringing forth possibilities that were never previously imagined.
Earlier this year, I wrote about Microsoft Mesh, a “holoportation” and mixed reality platform that aims to make digital connections life-like and enable new ways to remotely teach, learn, and perform tasks virtually. This is in conjunction with Microsoft’s Hololens technology, which has already been explored in non-operative and surgical case-studies alike as a means to provide medical care remotely.
The innovation in this realm continues to grow rapidly. Take for example famous computer systems and chip designer NVIDIA, which has been an industry favorite for decades. The company has continued to demonstrate incredible innovation in all aspects— from gaming systems to advanced computing, NVIDIA is a visionary force. Now, the company is utilizing its trusted and tried infrastructure to invest in the “metaverse”—an alternate, digital reality of sorts that can provide rich, life-like interactions and experiences to users. This is a promising concept for healthcare, which thrives on interaction between the physician and the patient. NVIDIA is attempting to innovate in this space with its Omniverse platform— “an easily extensible, open platform built for virtual collaboration and real-time physically accurate simulation. Creators, designers, researchers, and engineers can connect major design tools, assets, and projects to collaborate and iterate in a shared virtual space.” The platform has already been adapted across multiple industries, including architecture and engineering, media and entertainment, manufacturing, and supercomputing, creating a strong foundation to leap into the healthcare industry.
NEWPORT BEACH, CA – JUNE 20: Dr. Robert Louis, a neurosurgeon at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian … [+]
Staff Photographer
The idea of the metaverse has incredible potential, providing for an entirely new approach to interaction and human connection. Facebook’s recent transformation to “Meta” is an ode to the company’s foresight and vision that the metaverse is the next frontier in technological innovation. In fact, Facebook has been investing …….