Virtual Reality: Recent Advances for Health & Wellbeing (Disability Studies)

Product Description Virtual reality and human interaction with it is a complex topic, and certainly not one which will be mastered overnight; but across the world, there is excellent research being carried out for all of these important domains. As humanity extends its understanding of the interplay with these system components, developers will be well-positioned to design better and more effective virtual reality interventions and come closer to realising the full potential of virtual reality for health and well-being. In this book, the authors present a number of short papers from research groups around the world working in this important and complex field. The chapters explore a range of issues, suggesting routes forward and offering insights into both the potential and the challenges of this rapidly maturing technology. About the Author Paul M Sharkey, HDipEE, BSc(Eng), MA, PhD, FIET, MISVR, CEng, is professor of cybernetics, member of the Cybernetics Research Group and Director of the Visualization and Interactive Technologies Centre at the School of Systems Engineering, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom. Professor Sharkey's research interests lie in the fields of robotics, control systems, active vision and virtual reality, particularly in the overlapping areas within these fields relating to systems architecture and systems where delays are an inherent part of the closed loop. In 1996 he founded, and remains the Programme Chair for, the International Conference Series on Disability, Virtual Reality and Associated Technologies, a biennial conference that brings together psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, clinicians, engineers and computer scientists to further understanding in the multi-disciplinary area in the field of rehabilitation and disability. He was also a founding member and is a current member of the Board of Directors for the International Society for Virtual Rehabilitation. In 2010, he was elected a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.