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Immersive Technologies Seminar Series: Virtual Reality

March 22, 2023 at 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Join us on March 22nd for a talk with Annie Wan about the work she is doing with virtual reality (VR) related to OpenAI’s virtual health assistant and Alzheimer’s research, in the Visualization and Emerging Media Studio (COM 107) at UBC Okanagan.

Virtual reality (VR) can be used for Alzheimer’s disease caregiver training to help prepare them for the challenges of caring for someone with the condition. VR provides an immersive and interactive experience that can simulate different scenarios and situations that may arise when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. For example, the VR training program suggested here could simulate an episode of confusion or disorientation that a person with Alzheimer’s may experience. This can help the caregiver understand what the person is going through and how to respond in a way that is calming and supportive. Other VR scenarios could include demonstrating how to assist with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating, or how to handle difficult behaviors such as wandering or aggression. In addition to helping caregivers better understand the needs of those with Alzheimer’s, VR training can also be a useful tool for reducing stress and increasing confidence in their role as a caregiver. By providing a safe and controlled environment to practice different scenarios, VR can help prepare caregivers for the challenges they may face in their day-to-day caregiving duties. To enhance the immersive experience, OpenAI’s virtual health assistant will be implemented in the training application as well.

This talk is free and open to all, registration is not required.

The Immersive Technologies Seminar Series is a collaboration between CITech and the Media Studies program, and is organized by NSERC CREATE in Immersive Technologies (CITech), a highly multidisciplinary graduate training program at UBC focusing on skills development and collaborative research to design immersive solutions for various real-world applications. Find out more about CITech.

About the Artist

Dr. Annie WAN is an Associate Professor teaching Media Studies at UBCO, and is an international digital media scholar, primarily research interests in adopting extended realities technologies for well-being and for social good. Wan was a Course Leader of BA Virtual Reality in the University of the Arts London, an Assistant Professor in Hong Kong Baptist University and Hong Kong Education University. She was the Principle Investigator of a European Commission’s European Regional Development Fund funded project, ACE IT, which supports London-based start-ups and SMEs to conceptualise, research and develop innovative products and services in the area of virtual/ augmented/ mixed reality/ mobile solutions in 2020-2022. Her creative works have been exhibited in festivals in Europe, Asia and North America.

Details

Date:
March 22, 2023
Time:
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Venue

The Commons (COM)
3297 University Way
Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7 Canada
+ Google Map

Additional Info

Room Number
COM 107
Registration/RSVP Required
No
Event Type
Presentation, Talk/Lecture
Topic
Arts and Humanities, Research and Innovation
Audiences
Alumni, Faculty, Staff, Students