Scientists within the University of Birmingham’s School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering are developing, for potential hospital use free-of-charge, “virtual scenarios” incorporating sounds, sights, and smells, to help hospitalised trauma victims and patients who cannot go outdoors to convalesce quicker.
The “virtual worlds” can be viewed on large-screen televisions, video projectors, or head-mounted displays. The scientists, who are now approaching interested hospitals, say: “Patients can explore the sensorily rich simulated rural and coastal worlds using a variety of devices, from simple thumb-operated joysticks, to Xbox gamepads. Previous studies in real-world settings have shown that patients exposed to even very simple ‘green’ scenes, such as a group of trees, from a hospital window, require less pain-killing medicines, and convalesce much faster.” Professor Bob Stone, chair of Interactive Multimedia Systems, and lead investigator, said: “Patients will be free to choose areas they want to spend time in; they can take a walk along coastal footpaths, sit on a beach, listen to the waves and birdsong, watch the sun go down and – in due course – even experience the smells of the land and seascapes.” The team plans to undertake further studies “into arousal levels and reaction”, and to conduct testing on “a large number of people” so that it can measure biofeedback and make improvements.
