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| Invitation to learn more than video games |
| September 16, 2009 |
Recently a number of students from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) took part in the Sixth Annual Student Research Showcase. This showcase allows students to present and discuss the research projects they have been working on with faculty supervisors.“Conducting leading-edge research relevant to the needs of society is a core enterprise of UOIT. The student research showcase, held regularly near the end of each summer, is intended to recognize and inspire our graduate and undergraduate students who have dedicated themselves intensely to research over the past year,” says Dr. John Perz, assistant provost, Research at UOIT. Below is one of the projects featured at this year’s showcase. |
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| Hamed Sabri and Brent Cowan took their video game knowledge to a new level creating a video game simulation of a knee replacement surgery. |
By Katie Strachan The Oshawa Express Although it seemed far from their realm of expertise, Brent Cowan and Hamed Sabri took on the challenge and have basically conquered it. The duo, which are game development students at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, were contacted by surgeons at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto to create a video game simulation for hopeful medical school students.“They were interested in creating a virtual simulation to practice surgeries,” says Cowan. That was just three short weeks ago. Since then the pair has been spending about six to eight hours per day developing and working out the kinks in the simulator. “You can only stare at a computer screen for so long,” jokes Cowan. Cowan programs all the codes while Sabri designs and implements all the detailed artwork involved. They call the simulation a “serious game for orthopedic surgery.” The game is not for entertainment but rather to support the development of many skills for studying surgeons.“We were invited into the hospital to witness a surgery and photograph all the tools,” explains Cowan, pointing out their poster at the Sixth Annual Student Research Showcase held at the university. While on their tour of the surgery wing at the Toronto hospital, Cowan and Sabri took pictures of all the tools necessary for a knee replacement surgery and then entered those tools into the software of the program.“It’s a fairly simple surgery. It’s 14 steps,” says Cowan about choosing the knee replacement for the launch of the simulator.“If we were to do a more complex surgery, like brain surgery, it would have been a lot more work.” |
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| The pair is hoping to be allowed into the hospital’s emergency room soon to take pictures, which would be utilized in the game, making it more realistic. Students who are studying to be surgeons will use this game to practice the knee replacement surgery before trying it on an actual patient, which provides a much richer environment for learning, says the duo. “It will show them the necessary tools. They’ll watch a short video and then after answer a series of multiple choice questions,” explains Cowan. The questions will be thought up and developed by medical professionals.“We’re not medical experts,” says Cowan laughing. According to the pair, half of the students will be taught using traditional methods of study and the other half will be taught using their simulation game.“They’ll then do a comparison of test scores,” says Sabri. “It’s up to them (the students) how often they use it.” After the study is completed, the game may be expanded to include other subspecialties in the medical field if it is successful. They are hoping to have the program completed and implemented by the fall.“It depends on how fast we get it done,” says Cowan, adding they should be done by mid-fall. They are also hopeful it will lead to bigger and better things.“It would be nice to see it published in a medical journal (once completed),” adds Cowan. But for now the fourth year students are having fun completing the game, watching videos of real surgeries and learning things they never expected when enrolling in the game development program. See The Oshawa Express Sept. 23 edition for another student’s research showcase. |
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©2008 Dowellman Publishing Corp, All Rights Reserved
