Students to learn from immersive health room

The suite allows training to take place in a range of lifelike environments

Students at Coventry University are to benefit from a new virtual-reality health suite during their studies.

The Cave Automatic Virtual Environment simulates different healthcare settings and scenarios.

It was funded by a £5m grant from the Office for Students, the independent regulator of higher education in England.

"It allows our learners at the touch of a button to move between environments such as a hospital ward, an operating theatre, the back of an ambulance or outside," said Dr Natasha Taylor.

"We also have a model viewer that allows our learners to take parts of the body and look at them in depth, move them around and even go inside them," she said.

Dr Taylor added that simulation was valuable for students.

"It’s really important that our students can learn in a completely safe environment that allows them to make mistakes, and learn from their mistakes so when they go out into actual practice and see actual people they feel confident and competent."

As well as procedures and diagnostic techniques, the students would use the suite for things like practising patient interactions, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy.

Also built with the funding was "The Powerwall", a floor-to-ceiling screen with 3D immersive technology, for those studying engineering.

Hardeep Nandra from the university said the screen would help students understand mechanical designs and projects they created.

"It gives students the chance to interrogate their designs. You can see right into the components and drawings, allowing learners to critique any areas that they might want to redesign.

"It’s an ideal tool for students in the department to use for their learning," he said.