Human Head Transplant Patient to Use VR to Prep for New Body
The world's first human head transplant is still on schedule for 2017, according to Italian surgeon Sergio Canavero who's been saying say for years that he will perform the procedure. The latest news is that Canavero's patient, 30 year-old Valery Spiridonov of Russia, will use a virtual reality system for several months before the surgery to prepare for the experience of controlling an entirely new body.
Canavero's claim that he can successfully perform a human head transplant has been the subject of skepticism since 2013. He claims to have performed the procedure on several cadavers, mice and even a monkey, though none of his work has appeared in any peer-reviewed journals, a fact that hasn't shaken his confidence. "I would say we have plenty of data to go on," Canavero told New Scientist in January this year. "It's important that people stop thinking this is impossible. This is absolutely possible and we're working towards it."
His confidence has carried him to the point of obtaining VR technology to prepare Spiridonov for the procedure. The system was developed by Inventum Bioengineering Technologies out of Chicago and is designed specifically to help potential head transplant patients cope with the shock of living in someone else's body. It has tailored "experiences" where the patient will use full body movement to get familiar with voluntary motor functions.
According to Digital Trends, the VR system seems to be based on the HTC Vive headset and the Virtuix Omni. The Virtuix Omni utilizes a stationary brace so users can be locked in one place while they physically move around in virtual reality, but prevents them from running into walls. The system also has a cage-like structure with a stationary vest attached that allows the user to stand in one place.
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The world's first human head transplant is still on schedule for 2017, according to Italian surgeon Sergio Canavero who's been saying say for years that he will perform the procedure. The latest news is that Canavero's patient, 30 year-old Valery Spiridonov of Russia, will use a virtual reality system for several months before the surgery to prepare for the experience of controlling an entirely new body.
Canavero's claim that he can successfully perform a human head transplant has been the subject of skepticism since 2013. He claims to have performed the procedure on several cadavers, mice and even a monkey, though none of his work has appeared in any peer-reviewed journals, a fact that hasn't shaken his confidence. "I would say we have plenty of data to go on," Canavero told New Scientist in January this year. "It's important that people stop thinking this is impossible. This is absolutely possible and we're working towards it."
His confidence has carried him to the point of obtaining VR technology to prepare Spiridonov for the procedure. The system was developed by Inventum Bioengineering Technologies out of Chicago and is designed specifically to help potential head transplant patients cope with the shock of living in someone else's body. It has tailored "experiences" where the patient will use full body movement to get familiar with voluntary motor functions.
According to Digital Trends, the VR system seems to be based on the HTC Vive headset and the Virtuix Omni. The Virtuix Omni utilizes a stationary brace so users can be locked in one place while they physically move around in virtual reality, but prevents them from running into walls. The system also has a cage-like structure with a stationary vest attached that allows the user to stand in one place.
Full story at site
