JUST-IN-TIME VR
TRAINING FOR AMBUS EMS
Recognition
Collaborators
Dr. Smith, Scott Kenneth |LCSW Director of Virtual Reality and Technology Lab
Dr. Trahan, Mark | LCSW Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
Dr. Metsis, Vangelis | Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science
Dr. Koutitas, George |Assistant Professor, Ingram School of Engineering
Humphrey, Victoria | Graduate, School of Social Work
Garrard, Benjamin | Undergraduate, Department of Computer Science
Shivesh, Jadon | Undergraduate, Department of Computer Science
I contributed to my team members through field design research, (Google Sprint Process), solution ideation, development of product prototype UX, and creation of iconography.
Impact Statement
With only 13 Ambus in Texas. First responders have limited access to training for mass casualty in the Ambulance Bus (Ambus). They only currently have training through a ppt presentation and one hour in the unit every 12 months.
Goal
Create virtual-reality (VR) curriculum that can be delivered remotely to distributed EMS personnel when they are called to deploy.
Purpose
To create a more efficient Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Personnel that will be able to assist victims during an unexpected mass casualty insidents (MCI).
AMBULANCE BUS (AMBUS)
EMS personnel called to work large scale emergencies work on a bus-sized ambulance, called an AmBus.
MEET THE EXPERT
Interviewed Commander Keith Noble from Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to discuss current Ambus training.
FINDINGS
CURRENT TRAINING
EMT'S
1 Power Point Presentation
1 Hour Ambus walkthrough
Not fully prepared
Trouble recalling equipment placement
Although they receive training once a year, emergencies happen rarely, the personnel are at risk of not being familiar with the operations of the AmBus system when they are called upon. Moreover, the EMS personnel are often needed very quickly so attending traditional, day long retraining activities is unrealistic. The personnel are often distributed over a sizeable geographic region while the current training is a combination of class-room presentation and hands-on simulations.
HOW MIGHT WE?
Create a VR SOLUTION to improve response times, reduce errors and improve confidence with the intention of making EMS Ambus performance more effective?
Help current EMT'S familiarize and feel confident in the Ambus during a MCI deployment?
Improve response times?
PROPOSED SOLUTION
Provide an immersive experience where EMS can interact and familiarize with the space inside the Ambus unit using 360 VR technology.
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In order to build the 360 interactive experience, Prof Lawrence and I traveled to Austin-Travis County to meet Commander Noble and have access to document one of the 13 Ambus units.
TRAINING ICON SET
ITEM RECALL
The icon helps the EMT quickly respond to the items inside the compartments
Icons are divided in three colors in relation to their purpose of use: communication, wounds, and care items.
In the unit personnel will not have the icons to guide them but they will recall from memory when they are deployed.
UTILITARIAN
Utility icons are only showed in the driver seat, meant for personnel to get familiar to where switches and buttons are in the larger Ambus unit.
NAVIGATION
The navigation arrows are to go forward or backward in the 360 training setting.
PERFORMANCE IMPACT
DECREASE
OPERATIONAL MISTAKES
ASSEMBLE TIME
INCREASE
FAMILIARITY
MEMORY RECALL
This new training curriculum should reduce decision time, increase situational awareness, reduce operational mistakes, and increase trainee confidence. We propose that this innovative training could be delivered remotely to the distributed EMS personnel before they assemble, as they are assembling or enroute to the mass casualty event. Such an application will better prepare them to be as effective as possible in using the life-saving features of the AmBus
TRAINING ACCESS
MOBILE
In mobile devices, users can download the training app and interact with the interface via gyro or touch controls.
VR MASK
Users can download the app and choose to open in dual view to control with VR mask via body motion.
Access to this training is quite economical. Total capital investments results in $20 per trainee or $8 google cardboard, depending on the VR Mask preference.
SMART CITIES CONNECT CONFERENCE
U.S. IGNITE APPLICATION SUMMIT
March 2018
The team presented on virtual reality applications at the U.S. Ignite Application Summit. Held in conjunction with the Smart Cities Connect Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, the Ignite summit provides a national platform for the sharing of innovative research efforts. Led by Dr. Scott Smith, associate professor in the School of Social Work and director of the Virtual Reality and Technology Lab, we advocated for the use of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality solutions to deliver remote trainings to emergency medical personnel to better prepare them to use the AmBus, a bus-sized ambulance designed for use in catastrophic emergencies.