🕶️ Doctors in the UK Performed the first Surgery with XR

Good morning!

This week, we have a very medical-oriented newsletter. With Mixed Reality becoming so 'easily' accessible especially after Apple's entry into the market, we are witnessing a significant expansion in how this technology is applied across various industries, particularly in healthcare

Today’s Topics:

• 🏥 Surgeons perform UK's first operation using Apple's Vision Pro headset

• 📱 Everyone wants to make Apps for the Vision Pro

• 🪖 The U.S. Army's Ambitious Plan for Mixed Reality in Combat

Reading time: 5min

🏥 Surgeons perform UK's first operation using Apple's Vision Pro headset

Apple's Vision Pro headset, which has only been on the market for a few weeks, has already achieved remarkable success ✅ in the medical field. In a groundbreaking achievement, the Vision Pro was utilized during a surgery in the UK, where surgeons harnessed the capabilities of this mixed reality device to significantly improve surgical precision and efficiency.

The Details:

• The first UK surgery utilizing the Vision Pro was carried out at Cromwell Hospital, London 🇬🇧, with a scrub nurse employing the headset to assist in a spinal repair operation.

• The Vision Pro, equipped with software developed by eXeX (similar to applications used on Microsoft's HoloLens), provides holographic and touch-free access to surgical guides and tool selection within the sterile operating environment, enhancing precision and reducing the margin for error 🔍.

• According to lead scrub nurse Suvi Verho, the technology boosts confidence 🚀 by minimizing human error and guesswork, offering a new layer of assurance and accuracy in complex surgeries.

• Following its inaugural use in an Orlando operating room by Dr. Robert Masson, the Vision Pro is now being tested worldwide across various medical disciplines, including radiology, patient care, medical education, and early disease detection 🔬.

Our Thoughts: Just a month post-launch, the Vision Pro is already showcasing its potential across various sectors, particularly in medicine, where its impact could be transformative. Despite its premium price and modest sales relative to Apple's other offerings, the Vision Pro's versatility in Mixed Reality applications is unmistakably valuable. With its early adoption in surgical procedures, the possibilities for its future applications are vast and exciting 💡.

📱 Everyone wants to make Apps for the Vision Pro

Still talking about medicine and headsets… Apple's entrance into the XR world with the Vision Pro has had a ripple effect, enticing even the most unlikely of companies to explore its potential. A standout example is Stryker’s Mako, a company founded by AR pioneer Rony Abovitz, which has launched the myMako app on Apple's platform, marking a significant move in the medical 🩺 and AR industries 💡.

The Details:

• Mako's foray with the myMako app on Vision Pro offers surgeons a new dimension in pre-operation planning 🗺️, leveraging immersive 3D imagery from CT scans to refine surgical strategies.

• Beyond its cutting-edge hardware, Apple's Vision Pro benefits from the vast iOS app ecosystem, offering a robust platform that rivals struggle to match 📊.

• This integrated ecosystem, combined with Apple's reputation for stability and innovation, positions the Vision Pro as a magnet 🧲 for XR applications across industries, including healthcare.

Our Thoughts: The launch of the myMako app on Vision Pro is a testament to Apple's ability to reshape market dynamics, dubbed “The Apple Effect.” This phenomenon underscores the tech giant's sway in not just enticing consumer interest but also in catalyzing innovation across diverse sectors 🔥, including healthcare. As the XR space heats up with new entrants and alliances, Apple’s Vision Pro emerges as a pivotal player, setting new standards and inspiring a wave of applications that merge the digital and physical realms more seamlessly than ever before.

🪖 The U.S. Army's Ambitious Plan for Mixed Reality in Combat

If you now think that VR is good only for medicine, you might be wrong. The U.S. Army is gearing up to deploy approximately 3,000 advanced mixed reality headsets to its close combat forces within the year. This is done to rectify past shortcomings and significantly enhance soldiers' combat efficiency and situational awareness 🎯💡.

The Details:

• After encountering issues with a 2022 prototype that compromised soldiers' performance and comfort, the Army seeks improvements with the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) 🕶️.

• With a budget request of $256 million dedicated to purchasing IVAS and an additional $98 million earmarked for R&D, the Army demonstrates its commitment to refining this pivotal technology.

• The latest iteration promises a new design focusing on ergonomic comfort and reduced physiological impact, addressing the critical feedback 📊 from initial testing phases.

• Alongside IVAS, the Army's 2025 budget also requests funding for Enhanced Night Vision Goggle-Binoculars 🔭, incorporating augmented reality features like a compass, teammate and enemy indicators, and map overlays for improved situational awareness and tactical advantage.

Why it Matters: While Virtual Reality (VR) technology has been instrumental in saving lives through applications in medicine and training, its utilization in military contexts is both inevitable and historically consistent. Military needs and wartime imperatives have long served as powerful drivers of technological innovation. Given this reality, it is crucial that we leverage the advancements developed for military use to address broader societal challenges, ensuring that the benefits of such innovations extend beyond the battlefield to solve pressing issues in our communities.

In Other XR News

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• How Artificial Intelligence Transformed Technology For The Blind In 2023

• University of Cambridge leverage spatial navigation and input to detect early Alzheimer's symptoms