Drury University’s Hammons School of Architecture and International Virtual Reality Healthcare Association Host Medical VR/AR Exposition
Drury University recently hosted a groundbreaking Medical Virtual Reality Exposition in collaboration with the International Virtual Reality Healthcare Association (IVRHA) at the Hammons School of Architecture (HSA), featuring innovative student work and presentations from leaders in the field. Over the past eight years, Professor David Beach has worked with Drury students to develop immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences designed for pediatric patients. These experiences allow children in hospitals to escape the confines of their rooms by immersing themselves in virtual worlds, providing both entertainment and relief. The expo marked the first time this work was shared with the local healthcare community, alongside prominent exhibitors in the medical VR field.
“Our team at the Hammons School of Architecture develops Medical VR experiences designed to help kids escape their hospital room as a form of therapy,” said Professor David Beach, Associate Dean of HSA. “These experiences are designed to deliver an ambient sense of exploration, and education through immersion, and are tied to an analogue experience after the game. We have developed several hours of VR architectural tours (from ancient ruins to modern designs) and have created a more extensive game called Rising Bravery which combines exploration, observation and riding dragons.”
The Medical Virtual Reality Exposition at Drury University opened with exhibits from industry leaders like Neurocovr, Elm Park Labs, 3lbxr, CrossComm, Patient Ready and Simtryx. Don Shin, CEO of CrossComm, presented on deploying patient-facing AI applications for the American Cancer Society. Attendees, including healthcare professionals and educators, explored these innovative VR technologies through headsets and interactive displays.
“We have two main missions: Supporting our members and educating the marketplace,” said Robert Fine, Executive Director of IVRHA. “We are showcasing VR healthcare demonstrations from different organizations and companies, and this is the second stop of an eight-city tour that we are doing this month in October. The purpose of being here in Springfield is to get people to try VR and understand the opportunities and applications of these technologies.”
