M IXED R EALITY H UMANS

1. MANDI MIXED REALITY HUMANS

2. University of Florida, Virtual Experiences Research Group (VERG) MIXED REALITY HUMANSMANDI: Mannequin Digital Animated Avatar: A Mixed Reality Human Breast Screening Patient Description: Mixed Reality Humans are a new species of embodied agent that affords interpersonal touch between human and virtual human. Interpersonal touch is a critical component of communication, affecting a person’s perception of those with whom they communicate, improving information flow in a conversation, and allowing for expression of empathy. Mixed reality humans are being targeted to educating medical students on interpersonal skills during physical examinations. The initial mixed reality human patient is a frightened middle-aged female requiring a breast cancer screening. The mixed reality breast cancer patient allows medical students to practice (1) performing a clinical examination, (2) communicating empathy to a frightened patient, and (3) using interpersonal touch in a comforting manner. The mixed reality human architecture is composed of a virtual human with speech and gesture capabilities, merged with a physical breast simulator and a mannequin body. Users communicate through touch, natural speech, and gestures. User touch is Detected through pressure sensors and computer vision techniques. Team Members: University of Florida, College of Engineering Benjamin Lok, Assistant Professor Aaron Kotranza, Graduate Student Medical College of Georgia, Department of Surgery D. Scott Lind, M.D. Adeline Deladisma, M.D., M.P.H. Virtual Experiences Research Group Mission Statement: The mission of the Virtual Experiences Research Group (VERG) at the University of Florida is to develop highly immersive virtual human interactions that will train health profession students in communication and interpersonal skills. Image Captions (on reverse): Top Left: A medical student performs a clinical breast examination on a mixed reality human patient. Top Right: A medical student (inset) takes a medical history of the mixed reality human patient. Bottom Left: Interpersonal touch is afforded through a physical breast simulator and computer vision tracking of the patient’s hospital gown. Bottom Right: The design of the mixed reality human patient system. http://www.cise.ufl.edu/research/vegroup