Exploring Innovation with the DME

This weekend, I had the opportunity to attend TRMC where the theme was “Exploring Innovation.” Last year, I was on the team as an Ambassador, but having the experience to attend as a delegate gave me a new perspective on the conference, allowing me to interact more with my fellow delegates and attend the “Industry Expo.” One of my favourite booths at the Expo was the DME which intrigued delegates with their 3D printing examples and two VR headsets.

The first VR experience integrated drawing with virtual reality. As you draw, you could still see everything happening around you in real time; layering your drawings with the people around you in 3D as you could move around your drawings and the people surrounding you. The second VR experience was in a virtually created environment which was in snowy area with a snowman. It was different from the first headset as you couldn’t see what was truly around you. My friends and I had fun using the VR headset, especially since it was their first VR experience. I had the chance to use it for the first time last year as some friends of mine participated in a hackathon and they let me use the VR in multiple different ways. I tried one where you’re in a museum being chased by a dinosaur, another where you were in space, one where you’re standing on the edge of a tall building and another where you are performing a surgery with a robot.

While using the VR headset, my initial thought was that it would be useful for biomedical students while learning how to perform surgeries. They could practice and learn without the fear of making a mistake which could have serious damages. It would also prepare them for their first surgery as it may relieve any fears they have walking into their first operation. This technology would be a great learning opportunity for students in any field which requires hands on learning such as engineers as well. This integrative learning would give students the real world experience and would be a great asset for Universities to invest in as it would better prepare their students for their future career— and create a fun way for them to learn!