Following our first speaker profile focused on Aardman's Daniel Efergan, this time we're shining the spotlight on Dr Wendy Powell of the University of Portsmouth. Dr Powell is one of the many VRWC17 speakers who will be providing a talk focused on the healthcare industry and how VR is shaking things up. As one of the world's forefront minds on VR for healthcare, we're incredibly proud to have Dr Powell on board for VRWC17!
We recently spoke to Dr Powell concerning her role, her talk and her opinions on the direction of the VR industry:
1. What do you do?
I teach and research in virtual reality in all aspects, but with a particular interest in two areas. Firstly, the way in which the hardware, software and interaction design influences behaviour and task performance, and secondly the way in which VR can be used to improve health and well-being. Within this second area we are looking at areas as diverse as phantom pain in amputees, and infection control training in hospitals.
2. Who is your talk aimed at and what will attendees gain from it?
My talk is aimed at people who are interested in understanding how VR can be used for health care and want to know more about some of the opportunities and risks in this field.
3. What do you see as the biggest innovation in VR right now?
We're on the cusp of getting really good wireless (or mobile) VR with accurate motion tracking. This, combined with the recent advances in depth-sensing technology which can give near real-time awareness of our surroundings, open up the potential for really immersive VR experiences in the home and in the clinic.
You can view Dr Powell's full profile and talk summary on the speakers page, or see the current VRWC17 agenda. Alternatively, head over to our registration page and grab VRWC17 tickets right away!
