Press Release
Johns Hopkins APL Uses Virtual Reality to Teach Children of Servicemen and Women About Prosthetics
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, is using a $375,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to educate the children of servicemen and women about prosthetics using virtual reality.
In a workshop beginning on June 3, 2017, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, APL’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Program Office will partner with ONR to encourage the children to develop their interest in STEM while enabling them to learn more about the prosthetics that help members of the military service community.
The CONVEY program (or Connecting STEM Outreach Now Using VIE Education for Youth) was piloted in April and will use a modified version of a virtual training platform APL developed to help amputees adapt quickly to operating its revolutionary Modular Prosthetic Limb. CONVEY is focused on interactive learning and teaches children about topics from biology to engineering.
“Our objective is to use the virtual training platform to enhance each child’s understanding of how STEM concepts and products are being used to enable personal independence, mobility and human interaction for their loved ones,” said Dwight Carr, APL STEM program manager. “It’s an engaging and interactive way to expand the use of the technology, while helping both the service members and their families.”