WorldViz Partners with University of British Columbia on VR balance research

March 6, 2019 – WorldViz has today announced a new partnership with the The Origins of Balance Deficits and Falls (OBDAF) Research Cluster of University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada. Researchers within this cluster study the mechanistic principles of healthy balance control and origins of balance deficits and falls.

The OBDAF Research Cluster’s work is used for developing new tools, therapeutic interventions and technologies to reduce the likelihood and impact of balance instability and falls. The cluster consists of over 35 members from across 6 departments at UBC and a wide network of institutions across Canada, the US, Europe and Australia. Cluster members study human balance and mobility and conduct research that aims to understand the origins of balance deficits and falls. Research focuses on the sensori-motor, orthopaedic, psychological and neurological factors that contribute to fall risk in older adults and individuals with Parkinson’s Disease, multiple sclerosis, vestibular loss, spinal cord and traumatic brain injury.

In research and development, WorldViz VR solutions, namely the WorldViz Vizard VR platform, enable experimental setups that would not be possible in the real world, while at the same time ensuring experimental control. Users can create controlled and repeatable simulations and experiments where reality can be simulated to capture results. Analysis of the physiological data obtained can then be automated.

Vizard also allows for these simulations to be connected to VR headsets, CAVEs and Powerwalls, head/hand motion trackers and motion capture systems, and specialty devices such as eye trackers, haptic feedback devices, and biophysical sensors such as EEGs, EKGs and GSRs. Data collection, analysis, and full experimental control are possible through Vizard’s Python-based coding interface and layout of modules for scientific research.

WorldViz stated that as part of this partnership, it is offering all cluster members a discount for Vizard VR software purchases. To allow members to replicate/expand on existing research from Professor Mark Carpenter at UBC, WorldViz is offering to sell Vizard Enterprise Edition licenses for the price of the Vizard Development Edition.

Image credit: WorldViz