Technologies for Health Through Virtual Means, Focusing on Arts et Métiers

Laval Institute Pioneers Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Healthcare

In a recent special edition of the Special magazine produced by our website's Business Intelligence team, the progress of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in healthcare was explored through several use cases. The 128-page magazine, written by professionals in the medical, scientific, and VR/AR fields, highlighted various projects related to healthcare and therapy.

One such project is led by Dr. Abdelmajid Kadri, a doctor and engineer at Arts et Métiers, who presented the work conducted by the Laval Institute. Based in France, the "Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Arts et Métiers" (ENSAM) is an engineering school rooted in the engineering "Grandes Ecoles" landscape. With a focus on developing technology for the industry of the future and addressing four major societal challenges (transport, housing, energy, and health), ENSAM runs activities in the field of health and disability, primarily at the Laval Institute.

The Laval "Presence and Innovation" team, headed by Simon Richir, specializes in designing therapeutic applications based on virtual technology. They are involved in numerous projects, including awareness, stimulation, and cognitive re-education initiatives such as AccesSim, Sensivise, and EHPAD.

Awareness of Motor Disability and Accessibility Assistance: AccesSim Project

The AccesSim project aimed to raise awareness among the general public and decision-makers of the challenges faced by individuals with reduced mobility in their daily lives. It created a hardware and software solution to help architectural and urban planning firms design accessible environments. The AccesSim project used a 3D force feedback platform to simulate realistic wheelchair navigation and was funded by the Ile de France Region, with support from the Move'o, System@tic, and Images et Reseaux clusters. It also received awards from our website at the international VR meetings in Laval in the Transport & Mobility category.

Visual Awareness Raising: Sensivise Project

The Sensivise project addressed the visual impairment affecting over 2 million people in France and nearly 300 million globally. The goal was to create a virtual apartment environment with several rooms that visually impaired individuals could navigate to better understand the difficulties they encounter in their daily lives. After confronting users with challenges related to visual impairment, the virtual environment proposed simple, low-cost adaptations to help those with visual impairments. The Sensivise project was developed in partnership with the Haut Thebaudiere institute for the visually impaired and funded by Dassault Systemes' "Passion for Innovation" program. A more recent version is currently under development in collaboration with StreetLab.

Physical and Cognitive Stimulation: "Stroll at the EHPAD" Project

The Stroll at the EHPAD project targeted dependent elderly individuals and aimed to offer them accessible physical and cognitive activities using virtual technologies. Dependent elderly people were immersed in virtual environments while cycling on a connected exercise bike, offering relaxation, well-being, and cognitive and physical stimulation. The project was financed by the Laval Agglomeration's "Reality Virtuality and Disability" fund and led to the creation of Cottos Medical, a startup now marketing Cycleo, a bicycle simulator for seniors in retirement homes.

Cognitive Rehabilitation: AGATHE's Project

The AGATHE project developed an original tool for cognitive re-education aimed at activities of daily life and autonomy. The tool addressed rehabilitation assessment and therapy for patients with impaired cognitive function, a significant factor in loss of autonomy and dependency. More advanced commercial solutions are rare, making this project a significant contribution to healthcare. The AGATHE project was funded by the ANR-TecSan program and received awards at the ACM SIGGRAPH Emerging Technologies event and an invitation to present at the SIGGRAPH show in California-USA.

According to the ENSAM, "Health is a major area of development for our college." The projects discussed above are only some examples of what virtual technologies can bring to the healthcare field, including awareness, rehabilitation, surgery, training, diagnosis, and more. The virtualization of healthcare tasks can lead to improved playability, control, repeatability, savings, adaptation, and security, among other benefits.

The College's primary objective is to support healthcare professionals in designing VR systems tailored to end users' needs, encompassing both healthcare professionals and patients.

Science and medical-conditions intersect in the Laval Institute's work, where virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are being used to address various health issues.
One project at the Laval Institute, led by Dr. Abdelmajid Kadri, focuses on raising awareness about motor disabilities and accessibility, titled the AccesSim Project.
AccesSim uses a 3D force feedback platform to simulate wheelchair navigation, assisting architectural and urban planning firms in creating accessible environments.
The Sensivise Project at the Laval Institute aims to help the visually impaired understand daily life challenges by creating a virtual apartment environment.
The Stroll at the EHPAD project, also at the Laval Institute, offers physical and cognitive stimulation to dependent elderly individuals through virtual technology and exercise bikes.
another project at the Laval Institute, AGATHE, develops a tool for cognitive re-education, addressing rehabilitation assessment and therapy for patients with impaired cognitive function.
The use of VR and AR in healthcare offers numerous benefits, including improved playability, control, repeatability, savings, adaptation, and security, according to ENSAM.
These virtual technologies can also be utilized for surgery, training, diagnosis, and more, making a significant contribution to healthcare.
The Laval Institute's aim is to support healthcare professionals in designing VR systems tailored to end users' needs, considering both healthcare professionals and patients.
In the realm of health and wellness, fitness and exercise can be enhanced with the help of technologies like VR and AR, promoting cardiovascular health.
Mental health is another area where VR and AR can prove beneficial, offering therapies and treatments for conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Skin health can also be addressed with the help of AR, as it can provide a detailed, enhances visualization of skin conditions for medical professionals.
Advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), data and cloud computing, sustainable living, technology, and even cooking can have a positive impact on healthcare, enhancing food and drink preparation and lifestyle choices for a healthy living.