4oA conference & demo
We presented “Leverage technology to enhance the future of aging” and demonstrated the EVRTALK project at the O4A 2022 conference in Columbus, Ohio, on 10/20. 
IRIS
It is my great pleasure to join the leadership team of the Institute for Research in Sensing (IRiS) at UC.
The Institute for Research in Sensing (IRiS) is an interdisciplinary research institute focused on novel routes to innovation in sensing research and sensor technology development through purposeful integration of STEM and non-STEM perspectives, including basic and applied research, medicine, engineering, the humanities, social sciences, and fine and performing arts. At IRiS, we seek not only to expand what is possible but also to ask what is good for human thriving and the health of our planet. Our mission is one of connection, integration, and holism as we pursue breakthroughs in sensing research at the University of Cincinnati and beyond.
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Simulation. P1,P2
VR-based Employee Safety Training. Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Simulation
Grant:
- Virtual Reality for Employee Safety Training. Phase I. Sponsored research by the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. PI. Ming Tang. $16,631. Period: 6.2022- 09.2022.
- Virtual Reality for Employee Safety Training.Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Simulation-Phase II. Sponsored research by the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. PI. Tang. $22,365. Period: 2.2023- 12.2023.
Under the leadership of Ming Tang, the XR-Lab is collaborating with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) to develop a VR-based simulation to enhance employee safety training. This initiative involves creating a virtual hospital environment with interactive characters to facilitate research on diverse scenarios encountered during therapeutic crisis interventions. A vital feature of this simulation is the VR dialogue between a staff member and a teenage patient exhibiting aggressive behavior and mental illness. The primary objective is to equip staff members with the necessary skills to de-escalate tense situations effectively and adhere to appropriate protocols, thereby ensuring a safer and more controlled environment for staff and patients.
Team:
- Ming Tang, Nancy Daraiseh, Maurizio Macaluso, Krista Keehn, Harley Davis, Aaron Vaughn, Katheryn Haller, Joseph Staneck, Emily Oehler
- Employee Safety Learning Lab, CCHMC
- Extended Reality (XR) Lab, UC
Field of research: Virtual Reality, Safety Training, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Mental Health, Human Behavior Simulation
screenshots from Mobile VR Quest 2 headset.
Visual Impairment Sim
Our research team at the Live Well Collaborative created a Visual Impairment Simulation VR prototype to simulate glaucoma vision and peripheral vision loss in 2021. Glaucoma comprises a group of glaucomatous optic nerve damage and visual field loss disorders. It is a significant cause of blindness in the United States and is the most common cause of blindness among black Americans. An estimated 1 million Americans over 65 years of age have experienced the loss of vision associated with glaucoma, and approximately 75 percent of persons who are legally blind because of glaucoma are over the age of 65.[1]
A prototype of glaucoma VR simulation was developed by our team in 2021. A virtual kitchen scenario was created to allow users to experience the challenges of a visual impairment person in an immersive environment. Hand-tracking technology with Oculus Quest 2 was used for creating interactions with virtual objects.
Team: Ming Tang, Ryan Tinney, Alejandro Robledo, Tosha Bapat, Linda Dunseath, Matt Anthony @ Live Well Collaborative.
Screen recording of VR prototype glaucoma scenarios in a virtual kitchen to study cooking activities.
Hand Tracking in VR.
[1] Pizzarello LD. The dimensions of the problem of eye disease among the elderly. Ophthalmology. 1987; 94:1191–5.
XR Lab moved in Digital Futures
As the director of the Extended Reality lab (XR-Lab), I am thrilled to report that our XR-Lab has moved into the new Digital Futures Building at UC.
Our Lab will continue to broaden the scope of collaborations, using our expertise in both academic and professional fields in Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality. We look forward to the long-standing collaborative relationships with faculty at the UC Digital Futures, Criminology and Justice program at CECH, Civil Engineering program, and transportation program at CEAS, Live Well Collaborative, Council on Ageing, Cincinnati Insurance Company, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center.
Please visit our lab after August 2022 to check out the exciting lab space and facilities at the new UC Digital Future Building.
Location:
Room: 200 at Smart Connected Wing, & 207 VR?AR Center, Digital Future Building
3044 Reading Road, Cincinnati, OH 45206
Contact:
Ming Tang, tangmg@ucmail.uc.edu
Director of Extended Reality Lab, University of Cincinnati.
