Taipei University (Taiwan) is teaching the world’s first virtual reality human anatomy course. And to do so, it partnered with a technology company from the same country called HTC, which makes smartphones and virtual reality devices. This course also has the largest anatomy laboratory ever built.
The lab is equipped with 10 sets of VIVE Pro headsets, which won the best VR headset of the year award at the VR Awards held in October last year.
There, aspiring medical students at the Asian University can study, but it is also open to users who want to experience a demonstration of human anatomy.
A human anatomy course that will drastically change education
With this new human anatomy course supported by virtual reality, the university, and the technology company in charge, expect the new way of teaching to be very beneficial.
According to Hung-Ming Chang, head of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Taipei Medical University, notes that:
“Through virtual reality, we can truly observe human anatomy in ways and angles that were previously almost impossible to delve into.”
For his part, Edward Y. Chang president of HTC Research and Health, commented:
“Virtual reality will radically change education and help teachers, students, doctors and patients.”
For the course, software developed between the university and HTC will be used, and HTC Vive Pro VR headsets will be used. These allow the study of anatomy independently or even in face-to-face classes with up to 300 students connected simultaneously.
HTC, noted via a press release:
“Throughout the history of the human anatomyIn the past, education was delivered through 2D objects in books and through models, and more recently, using devices such as tablets and resorting to digital anatomy through 2D courseware that have the inability to present accurate dimensional perceptions.”
Finally, the course offers a more active mode and greater immersion and participation of each of the students who participate in it. This is due to the fact that it presents material in three dimensions and in real size, in addition, 4,000 body structures and important functions such as the heartbeat and the movement of the heart valves can be appreciated.
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