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Virtual Reality Simulation of MCIVR

Overview

Design of a Virtual Reality simulation environment as a training and assessment tool for first responders and medical practitioners charged with managing a mass casualty incident.

Year

2019-2020

My Role

UX Researcher, Environment and Triage Kit Designer , User Journey, User Testing,Prototyping, Optimizing

Tools

Maya, Unity, Adobe Creative Suite, Substance painter, Mudbox

Team Size

12 member

PROJECT DEFINITION

With funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), ACCAD and the OSU Wexner Medical Center are evaluating virtual reality (VR) as a training and assessment tool for first responders charged with managing a mass casualty incident. ACCAD faculty, staff and graduate students are in the early stages of creating a VR simulation of a subway bombing. Once the VR training system is ready to go live, First Responder trainees will engage with the VR training module. Researchers will compare student performance in the virtual simulation to a current analog recreation of the event.

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The goal is to demonstrate that VR will prove to be an effective training tool. The simulation could be utilized by a wide variety of trainees at universities, medical schools, and local fire, safety, and EMS departments. Creating accessible simulations to improve trainee ability and effectiveness will advance the overall goal of first responders and of improving the safe delivery of health care.

ENVIRONMENT DESIGN

After conducting qualitative research and identifying stakeholders needs and goals, the environment design process began.

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Assets and the environment were designed and developed through iterative prototyping and testing. Also, I gathered feedback regarding the user experience and usability from the users and experts through observation,  cognitive walkthrough, semi-structured interview, participatory sessions and the think-aloud process along different stages of the project. This process helped me to ensure that the design of the environment and assets fit the goals and needs project.

LOW POLY MODELS

Due to the complexity of the project, one of the main challenges was reducing the size of the file. As such, the assets were developed as low poly models using Maya, Substance Painter and Mudbox.

OTHER INVOLVED MEMBERS

ACCAD faculty, staff and students involved with this project include: Maria Palazzi, Vita Berezina-Blackburn, Alan Price, Zach Winegardner, Alex Oliszewski, Scott Swearingen, Stacey Dunten, Tori Campbell

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