Framework 7 proposal development: Defining an Interactive Operating Room

This application for an Overseas Travel Grant is aimed at facilitating a high quality proposal for Framework Programme 7 (FP7), and fostering collaboration with the appropriate European collaborators. The focus of the proposal will be a virtual medical training environment called the Interactive Operating Room (iOR), which aims to seamlessly combine state of the art technologies such as real-time holography, data processing, simulations, video tracking, intelligent communication systems and agents, and haptic and tactile interfaces, in order to provide a proof-of-concept and beyond-the-state-of-the-art operating room. If funded, the project will demonstrate the use of these technologies in a mixed reality environment where participants can safely practice performing complete minimally invasive and open surgical procedures. The iOR will resemble a real OR environment through the integration of holography and advanced interaction techniques. It will allow individual and teamwork training, performance evaluation and skills transfer.The iOR proposal will be submitted to the second call of the European Commission's FP7 ICT program with a deadline of October 9th 2007. In particular, this project will fit within area:3.5: Towards sustainable and personalised healthcare ICT-2007.5.3 Virtual physiological human