Media Release
Udupi, Jul 22: The department of basic medical sciences at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) hosted an innovative two-day conference titled 'Extended Reality & Healthcare: New Frontiers'. This momentous occasion was preceded by a one-day cadaver dissection experience augmented by cutting-edge virtual reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) technologies.
Gopal Devanahalli, group president of Strategy & Business Development at MEMG Bangalore, addressed the audience as the chief guest at the beginning of the conference. Devanahalli emphasised how swiftly evolving technologies, such as AI, AR, Virtual Reality (VR), and MR, have the potential to transform the healthcare industry, thanks to increased computing power, decreased costs, and open-source availability. He emphasised the significance of fostering the growth of these technologies and applauded the initiative of conferences such as this one, which bridge the divide between industry and academia by bringing technological advancements to academic settings.
Dr Sharath K Rao, pro vice chancellor (Health Sciences) of MAHE, Manipal, delivered an impassioned discourse emphasising the importance of staying abreast of the most recent technologies in health science education and practise. He acknowledged that methods in the field of health sciences can quickly become obsolete, making it crucial for the healthcare community to keep up with new technologies.
Dr Ullas Kamath, dean of MMMC and head of DBMS, delivered the conference's welcome address and extended cordial greetings to all attendees. The organising chairperson, Dr Bincy M George, described the origins of this conference, which were a series of pre-conference webinars on Extended Reality that attracted a large audience.
Dr Sambit Dash, the conference's organising chair, emphasised the convergence of industry and academia as the conference's central theme. The conference was generously sponsored and supported by both eminent industry leaders and promising entrepreneurs.
Snigdha Mishra, organising chairperson, expressed gratitude to all contributors, participants, and sponsors, whose support and commitment made this groundbreaking conference possible. The event attracted the enthusiastic participation of nearly a hundred delegates from various disciplines, as well as 27 resource persons from diverse backgrounds and 9 industry stalls housing approximately 25 industry delegates.
The 'Extended Reality & Healthcare: New Frontiers' conference signified a significant technological advancement in shaping the future of healthcare. By facilitating collaboration between academia and industry, this event proved to be an invaluable platform for innovation, which ultimately benefited the healthcare community and beyond.