Virtual hand interactions are one of the most common and useful applications that virtual reality (VR) systems offer users. But, as a new Concordia-led study shows, personal preference remains an important factor in how the technology is applied, regardless of the effect on overall performance. In a paper presented at the IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR) in October, the researchers shared their findings from experiments involving participants performing repetitive tasks on a VR-based Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT).

Needles and shots can make many people anxious, especially those who need to administer medicine this way on the daily, like those with multiple sclerosis. But one Concordia student is using augmented reality as a way to ease some of that anxiety. We hear from Donya Meshgin, a fourth-year undergraduate student in software engineering at Concordia University.

Donya Meshgin is using augmented reality to alleviate the stress of self-administered medication

Check out Concordia’s #nextgennow video featuring Dr. Kersten-Oertel with cameos of some of the AP Lab students!

4TH SPACE Concordia spoke with Marta Kersten-Oertel, a CURC in Applied Perception, about her lab's current projects and how they're coming to fruition.

If you’re struggling to stick to a fitness routine, you’re not alone. I interviewed Negar Haghbin, a master’s student in computer science at the Applied Perception Lab at Concordia who developed and designed the fitness app. She goes into detail on the app and its intricacies, when and how the idea came about, and how COVID-19 influenced her work.

If this time of physical distancing has conveyed any pearls of wisdom, it’s that we’re all in this together. Indeed, tackling the complex health challenges of tomorrow — and all of their far-reaching social and economic consequences — requires cooperation from global experts engaged in a variety of fields. Thanks to the interdisciplinary mindset of a group of academics at Concordia, solutions to such widespread problems as low back pain, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and dementia, and more may not be that far off on the horizon. Technology photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com

Technology, like in most industries in the world, is having an impact on how dental professionals conduct their services for the betterment of their clients or in the case of Argyle Associates, their patient service care. Each year, Argyle Associates welcome dental practitioners, hygienists and staff to an informative event and this year’s focus is on the technological innovations in surgery and dentistry.

MY NAME IS MARTA KERSTEN-OERTEL I am developing software that will help surgeons perform image-guided neurosurgery. My research will visualize and add depth to medical images, projecting them directly onto a patient — effectively superimposing an accurate, three-dimensional anatomical map to serve as a guide during invasive medical procedures. My name is Marta Kersten-Oertel and I am an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering.

Sara Amini and Paul Bugnon are members of the SymSolve multidisciplinary team that's working to improve breast reconstruction.

Marta are you originally from Canada? I am not. I'm originally from Poland, but I moved to Canada with my family when I was 5 years old. Can you tell us about your work? I work in image-guided surgery. I'm very much interested more in the human-aspect of things...

Autrefois l’apanage des jeux vidéo, la réalité augmentée fait progressivement son entrée dans les salles d’opération. Pour l’instant, cette technologie — qui superpose des données captées en temps réel à des images en 2D ou 3D — n’est utilisée qu’à titre expérimental. Mais Marta Kersten-Oertel, professeure au Département d’informatique et de génie logiciel de l’Université Concordia, a bon espoir de voir la réalité augmentée faciliter, dès les prochaines années, le travail des chirurgiens, particulièrement en neurochirurgie.

Spatial visualization is an essential skill surgeons have to master to perform even the most basic surgical procedures. Surgeons routinely have to navigate complex, three-dimensional spaces without damaging vital tissue, nerves or organs to reach an area requiring medical attention. Marta Kersten-Oertel, assistant professor in Concordia’s Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering and head of the Applied Perception Lab, is developing navigational tools to help increase precision and accuracy in the operating room.