SBIR Phase I: Enhancing STEM Education via Virtual Reality Medical Simulation

该项目将探讨如何将手术模拟开发技术应用于K-12 STEM教育。我们将开发一个数字解剖的基础上，一个完整的模拟动物标本完成一个身临其境的环境，触觉感觉，和准确的组织属性。所提出的系统将具有可重复使用、不产生经常性成本、无菌、更安全（无手术刀片）以及随时可用的优点，从而便于重复练习。加强高中STEM有利于学生，并与国家努力吸引和留住STEM教育的学生保持一致。该项目将吸引学生进入一个全面的STEM体验，使他们能够磨练技能，如手术技术和无痛介绍职业选择的学生可能没有被考虑以前。至少，这个项目让早期直接接触医疗职业。该项目的目标是通过创造新的体验，显著提高模拟器系统中的实时有限元分析能力，从而增强/扩展课堂教学，而这些体验目前仅限于专业水平的培训。它将应用相同的现实界面，例如，带着模仿真实的生活的外观和感觉，用来训练外科医生的高保真模拟器，来到高中生物教室。这将使学生能够在不使用动物的情况下进行动物解剖，不仅提供类似的学习经验，而且还提供适当的技术，允许犯错误并纠正错误，并允许练习达到既定的熟练程度标准。模拟器系统可以模拟1-，2-和3D组织物理学;复制身体组织的属性;并连接到界面设备，如触觉系统和虚拟现实（VR）显示器。目标1将为模拟器系统增加更广泛的计算能力，扩展它可以支持的场景类型。Aim 2将创建一个配备世界级触觉技术的实时、基于物理的虚拟动物解剖模拟器。目标3需要与教育专家合作，确保与STEM课程保持一致。长期愿景包括广泛的应用，学生使用系统的定制版本自己创建计算机模拟/场景。

This project will explore how surgical simulation development technology may be applied to K-12 STEM education. We will develop a digital dissection based on a complete simulation of an animal specimen complete with an immersive environment, haptic feel, and accurate tissue properties. The proposed system will have the advantage of being reusable, not incurring recurring costs, being aseptic, safer (no scalpel blades), and being available at all times, thus facilitating repeated practice. Enhancing high school STEM benefits students and aligns with national efforts to attract and retain students in STEM education. This project will draw students into a comprehensive STEM experience, allowing them to hone skills such as surgical technique and painlessly introduce career options to students that may not have been considered previously. At minimum, this project gives early direct exposure to medical careers. In addition, it has the potential to reduce the use of animals for training.The project goal is to significantly increase the ability of the real-time finite element analysis in the simulator system to enhance/extend classroom education by creating new experiences that today are limited to specialized professional-level training. It will apply the same realistic interface, e.g., with a look and feel that mimics real life, of high fidelity simulators used to train surgeons, to the high school biology classroom. This will enable students to perform animal dissections without using animals, in an environment that offers not only an analogous learning experience but one that teaches proper technique, allows mistakes to be made and corrected, and allows practice to established standards of proficiency. The simulator system can simulate 1-, 2-, and 3D tissue physics; replicate properties of body tissues; and connect to interface devices such as haptic systems and virtual reality (VR) displays. Aim 1 will add broader computation capability to the simulator system, extending the types of scenarios it can support. Aim 2 will create a real-time, physics-based virtual animal dissection simulator equipped with world-class haptics technology. Aim 3 will entail working with educational experts to ensure alignment with the STEM curriculum. The long-term vision encompasses a broad application in which students create computer simulations/scenarios on their own using tailored versions of the system.