[Sanxiaxiang Program] VR Technology Utilized to Support Poverty Alleviation
2020-08-17
To respond to the national call and to facilitate the development of poverty-stricken areas, the VR Poverty Alleviation Team from HUTB carried out cloud surveys and practices on the feasibility of applying virtual reality (VR) technology to poverty alleviation in multiple poverty-stricken areas by utilizing the currently popular VR technology and the Internet characteristics of large storage and strong interactivity. This survey came as an activity of the “Sanxiaxiang” program which involved popularizing cultural, technological and medical knowledge in rural areas.
VR technology integrates computer, electronic information, and simulation technology and features immersion, multi-sensitivity, interactivity, conception, and autonomy. In recent years, VR has become a technological hotspot in industrial production, healthcare, education, entertainment and other fields.
After discussion, the VR Poverty Alleviation Team decided to study the feasibility of applying VR technology to poverty alleviation from the four business aspects of healthcare, education, tourism, and retail. For example, in terms of medical care, it is learned that Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine,Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine(hereinafter referred to as Shanghai Yueyang Hospital) announced the official launch of the 5G telemedicine project. Through VR technology, the hospital demonstrated a massage consultation remotely cooperated with its designated assistance target, Xishui Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Zunyi, Guizhou. Thus, Shanghai Yueyang Hospital has become China’s first pilot hospital to use VR technology for 5G remote diagnosis guidance.
In this remote consultation, VR became a highlight. At Xishui Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1866 kilometers away from Shanghai Yueyang Hospital, a doctor wearing a VR helmet was providing massage diagnosis and treatment for the patient. The real-time 3D stereoscopic diagnosis and treatment images were transmitted to the iPad which the expert in Shanghai Yueyang Hospital held. Just by sliding the finger, the expert could comprehensively know the patient’ actual conditions and accurately instruct the doctor at Xishui Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine to locate the acupoints and meridians during the massage process. The expert at Shanghai Yueyang Hospital simply needed to “tap” the accurate position of the acupoints on the iPad, and the position information would be instantly transmitted to the screen on the VR helmet the other doctor wore. Following such information, the doctor in Xishui Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine could quickly find the accurate acupoints. Thus, remote consultation truly became a “face-to-face” targeted teaching.
The integration of VR technology and poverty alleviation can bring different effects. The VR Poverty Alleviation Team will take the opportunity of the “Sanxiaxiang” program to continuously study and verify the feasibility of applying VR technology to education, tourism, retail and other fields in impoverished areas. This team will explore more possibilities to contribute to poverty alleviation and the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. (Reported by VR Poverty Alleviation Team)
