COVID-19 has wreaked serious havoc since it broke out globally, and although the world is getting used to the disease, working towards procedures to curb its spread and fatalities, we are still some way from having a more permanent solution such as a vaccine.

Until then, the virus will continue to impact every aspect of our lives, as well as all sectors of the economy, and tech is no exception. The technology industry has a vital role to play, pushing innovations to help us all tackle what are sure to be more difficult times ahead.

We’ve already seen some examples of this emerging, so read on for three examples of what shape these innovations can take.

Heat Sensing AR Glasses

Augmented Reality glasses have been a trend under development for a while now, exponentially coming down in price and packing more capabilities, processing power, and sophisticated sensors in ever-smaller devices that are much less cumbersome.

In addition to capturing images, it is possible to have heat-sensing cameras built into such headsets, and it is easy to see how this will become invaluable in helping to screen people who might be showing early symptoms that could indicate they are infected with a virus such as COVID-19. This would go a long way in minimizing contact and curbing the spread of the disease.

There is much discussion around what responsibility tech giants as Twitter and Facebook have in regulating and moderating unfounded claims and hold people accountable
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This will aid in the easy identification of threats and possibly help in the safer long-term reopening of various sectors that have been forced to shut down or dramatically reduce their operations since the pandemic began, and is crucial to restarting the global economy without overloading already-stretched healthcare systems.

One instance which would call for the use of such technology is football, where fans are no longer allowed in stadiums at the moment since large gatherings without screening would make it very likely for the virus to spread. Yet this lack of fans in stadia will see football clubs struggling to keep up their finances and the game behind closed doors has left much to be desired. Until we can all get back to life as normal, many of us are still facing some time stuck at home, but the pandemic has not been able to stop folks from deriving excitement from playing online games. You could, for example, choose to play some games at an online casino in your spare time to get your head off the everyday worries and soothe your nerves amid this pandemic.

Implementing worldwide video conferencing standards 

Many of us have had to embrace the idea of working from home in these turbulent times, and in the middle of this transition we quickly discovered that phone conversations won’t always cut it. And although the quality of video conferencing tools has certainly improved in recent years, we still have a long way to go in order to replicate the sense of connection and presence that we get from face-to-face communications that are (at least for the moment) quite literally on hold.

Many of us have had to embrace the idea of working from home in these turbulent times
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There is still a lot of room for improvement, particularly where it comes to interoperability. If, for example, you receive a video call invitation via Facetime, using an Apple device would be convenient on your end. Meanwhile, Zoom would need a Zoom client, and WebEx requires a WebEx client. Even the likes of Skype and Teams cannot interconnect irrespective of the fact that they’re both Microsoft products.

This is a problem that has been largely addressed in mobile phones and other networked devices, so video conferencing should move in the same direction.

Taking the fight  to peddlers of fake news and recommendations

Sadly, there has been a lot of fake information about this pandemic. And while some of it can be dismissed as somewhat funny, much of it can actually prove harmful, and the proliferation of false information has been proven to put people in real danger.

Social media platforms have been the major disseminator of such fake information and conspiracy theories about potential cures, the origins of the virus, or health advice for curbing its spread. There is much discussion around what responsibility such tech giants as Twitter and Facebook have in regulating, moderating, or at the very least flagging such unfounded claims and hold people accountable.

There has been a lot of fake information about this pandemic
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Decisive action would serve as a deterrent to those gleefully jumping on the ‘misinformation bandwagon,’ and here, too, technology can be our ally. There are many Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools that can be deployed to identify, flag, and neutralize these invalid ideas and recommendations at scale, and doing this could potentially save lives in the long run. Whether there is enough social and political will to push tech companies into doing so, however, is another matter.

The post Fighting COVID-19 with Technology appeared first on Tech Trends.

Vancouver-based start-up Precision OS just introduced a new multiplayer feature for VR surgical training platform. This means that surgeons and nurses can work together in the same operating room even if they are physically thousands of miles apart.

The functionality allows up to five avatars at a time, with the collaborative feature bringing multiple users into a single virtual Operating Room
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The functionality allows up to five avatars at a time, with the collaborative feature bringing multiple users into a single virtual Operating Room (OR).

“Multiplayer now permits simultaneous access to the same virtual OR by many users. Each user receives an avatar along with their colleagues while performing surgery,” explained Dr. Danny Goel, a practicing orthopedic surgeon and Chief Executive Officer of Precision OS.

In an era of rapidly advancing technologies and procedures, training is often a rate-limiting factor
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The lack of access to high-quality surgical education is also affecting medical device companies. In an era of rapidly advancing technologies and procedures, training is often a rate-limiting factor. Current training approaches vary in effectiveness and are not helping to address cost, and, most importantly, surgical mastery. It is a well-established fact that by reducing the cognitive load on the brain, training powered by immersive technology allows for better and more efficient training.

Even before the coronavirus, traditional training was simply not up to the challenge of educating today’s surgeons
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Even before the coronavirus, traditional training was simply not up to the challenge of educating today’s surgeons, especially not in the numbers needed to cope with demand. This situation, needless to say, has now become greatly exacerbated by the circumstances brought on with the COVID-19 outbreak. Surgery residents are getting less hands-on experience than ever, and it’s affecting their confidence and autonomy. A significant percentage didn’t feel ready to independently perform core procedures upon residency completion, and over 90% opt for an additional fellowship year. In an effort to address this, The American Board of Surgery (ABS) recommended: “rather than increasing the number of cases, we should be increasing the quality of teaching both clinical and procedural skills.” Immersive technology proved a crucial game-changer.

The lack of access to high-quality surgical education is also affecting medical device companies
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As the new normal imposed by the coronavirus pandemic settles in for the long-term, it’s crucial that we continue to explore and implement these XR collaborative tools
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Precision OS is backed by the AO Foundation and is currently the only scientifically validated, peer-reviewed and published immersive virtual reality product on the market. It was founded by a team of clinical orthopedic surgeons and game developers to create the most relevant and applicable medical-grade simulation experience.

The new enhanced collaboration feature builds on the notion of double-loop learning, an educational concept grounded in search, exploration, and decision-making with the “why” in mind. Unlike single-loop learning methods like lectures or videos via tablet, the Precision OS module is interactive and encourages the user to delve deeper into an ultra-realistic simulation while allowing for failure in a constructive learning cycle.

“Through technology, we’re now able to assemble multidisciplinary teams for training without anyone having to travel,” Goel adds. Recently, Precision OS trained more than 300 medical device sales representatives using virtual reality in just 30 minutes. With multiplayer, Dr. Goel said he envisions surgeons remotely collaborating with other surgeons, trainees, and key OR personnel. including device reps.

The Precision OS platform runs with the Oculus Quest headset, making it a portable and cost-effective option that could be used anywhere
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The enhancement grants multiple users in different locations simultaneous access to the same learning module. The platform runs with the Oculus Quest headset, making it a portable and cost-effective option that could theoretically be used anywhere in the world.

“Multiplayer is literally and figuratively adding another dimension to our proficiency focused training platform. Enabling this type of collaboration and knowledge-share typically found in a clinical setting is of great significance,” concludes Goel.

As the “new normal” imposed by the coronavirus pandemic settles in for the long-term, it’s crucial that we continue to explore and implement these XR collaborative tools, especially where it comes to training essential healthcare workers in the age of remote working and social distancing.

This article was originally published on VRScout

Precision OS Launches Multiplayer Tool For VR Surgical Training via @alicebonasio https://t.co/aEUhi2W1nx pic.twitter.com/GS3DvGHxXO

— VRScout (@VRScout) March 23, 2020

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a XR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Virtual Collaboration in the Age of #COVID19 appeared first on Tech Trends.