From allowing specialized surgeons to better train the next generation of medical providers to providing a potentially drug-free way to reduce — or even eliminate — surgical pain, VR and AR technologies are helping to push the life sciences to new heights.

What Are These Technologies?

“Virtual reality” refers to a computer-generated simulation of an artificial, three-dimensional environment that can be interacted with, or manipulated by, a user through the use of specialized equipment. Such equipment includes gloves or controllers fitted with electronic sensors, or helmets with built-in screens, and sensors that can track the user’s eye and head movements. The technologies combine to create an immersive experience, one in which a user’s sense of sight and touch effectively allow them to control the environment that the computer is generating around them. In popular culture, VR often is shown as a form of entertainment, one in which a user puts on a helmet and gloves, boots up a video game system, and then plays a game in which the user’s every real-world movement allows him or her to manipulate the digital world.

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