Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Bloodstains in front of your eyes, pulse on your fingertips... first aid, “It’s like real life”

Transcending time and space by applying VR/MR technology

Penetrating and amputating ... 140 patient cases implemented

The empty space become an emergency room if you wear lenses

Painful patient voices "Alive and vivid"

“Motion Vehicle” the same size as a Medion helicopter

Practical training in realistic shaking conditions

The Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy (KAFNA) opened its extended reality-based Severe Trauma Treatment Training Center on Jan. 27, and officers wearing HoloLens are demonstrating trauma patient treatment training that combines virtual and augmented reality technology.

Preparing necessary treatment items in VR prior to MR training for severe trauma treatment.

Scenes from fantasy science films come to life

On Jan. 27, the XR-base Severe Trauma Treatment Training Center in the Student Center of KAFNA was busy with first aid training for trauma patients. At the Training Center that opened on the same day, the KAFNA officials demonstrated first aid for trauma patients. The officers wore the HoloLens in a mixed reality (MR) training room set up as an emergency room, and treated a dummy with gunshot and fracture wounds suffered in combat.

The image seen in the HoloLens was also displayed on a large monitor for the instructor. An empty space with nothing but the dummy appeared on the screen as an emergency room in augmented/virtual reality. Even the surrounding medical equipment and supplies and the trauma area of the patient were simulated. The patient's groans of pain could be heard over the HoloLens speaker. The officials involved cut through the air and quickly treated the trauma patient.

The Training Center was introduced by Army Lt. Col. Jeong Yu-mi, director of the Department of Educational Affairs, who said that the maximum possible implementation of current technology was put into the Training Center. HoloLenses were worn with the permission of the guidance officer. The surroundings were simulated as if they were real. The severely traumatized dummy even had bloodstains on the combat uniform. Breathing and pulse could be felt with touch sensors attached to the dummy.

Stopped by another MR training room. There is equipment called the Motion Vehicle. The inside of the equipment, which is driven by a six-axis drive, was built with the same size and structure as the ambulance helicopter, Medion. We boarded it and watched the demonstration up close.

As the doors closed and the equipment was activated, the vibrations of the helicopter were felt through the whole body. The front and side monitors turned into windows and transmitted the surrounding environment. In the movements that followed, the officers involved wore HoloLenses and performed various trauma treatment tasks on the dummy.

"We simulated trauma nursing training conducted in military medical education as an extended reality and added military nursing content," Jeong said. "We will strive to contribute to the development of military medical care by incorporating the maximum that can be realized with current technologies."

Motion vehicle equipment that implements the movement of helicopters and ambulances.

Implementation of approximately 140 severe trauma patient treatment content

The development of the XR-based Severe Trauma Treatment Training Center began in 2020 as a collaborative task between the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Science and ICT. The KAFNA participated as a demander. By last year, a budget of approximately 10 billion won had been invested to complete the project, and the opening event was held on this day.

The XR-based Severe Trauma Treatment Training Center is designed to enable doctors and nurses to train on trauma patients without the constraints of time and space. It is unique in that it uses medical twin and mixed reality technologies to implement actual trauma patient cases such as penetration, amputation, and compound fractures. Medical twins are a medical care application of digital twins, a technology that creates a virtual representation of a real space.

The training area was divided into the VR Individual Training Area and MR Training Area. In the VR Individual Training Area, VR equipment was used to provide hands-on training in the preparation of trauma supplies and mass patient classification. The MR Training Area consists of three sites: an Accident site, helicopter/ambulance transfer, and a hospital emergency room, with the HoloLens worn to educate by reflecting each characteristic. In particular, a total of 140 patient cases were implemented by combining accident, affected area, and environmental characteristics.

The KAFNA plans to provide education to fourth-year cadets this year using the Training Center. It plans to provide education and training to private-sector medical personnel after going through the process of stabilization and advanced development. Through this, it plans to contribute to improving trauma treatment capabilities.

At the opening event, school head Army Brig. Gen. Kang Jum-suk said, "This is an innovative project that attempts to provide future education in the era of digital transformation, and we will lead military nursing education as well as military medical innovation and contribute to the strengthening of national defense capabilities.”

By Hyun-woo, Seo <lgiant61@dema.mi.kr>

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