(Image from Osso VR)
Osso VR said this week that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the U.S. Air Force. The first phase of the project includes a feasibility study to determine VR surgical training’s benefits and application within the Air Force.
The SBIR program encourages domestic small businesses to engage in federal research and development that has the potential for commercialization. It also enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization.
Osso VR’s virtual reality surgical training platform is designed for surgeons, sales teams and other trainees to address complexities in learning common procedures and to use new medical devices. It provides realistic, haptic-enhanced interactions in an immersive training environment, according to the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company. Osso VR’s technologies include an objective assessment of technical skill, which has been shown to directly correlate with patient outcomes, the company added.
“We’re confident that our technology can help better prepare medical staff serving at home and abroad in high-stakes military environments. We’re honored to conduct this feasibility study with the U.S. Air Force,” said Osso VR co-founder and CEO, Dr. Justin Barad. “This first step with the Air Force furthers our mission of democratizing access to surgical education around the world.”
Osso VR was also recently awarded a $215,545 grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and in early 2019 received a $222,596 grant from the National Science Foundation for research and development to advance the company’s surgical assessment platform marrying motion capture and artificial intelligence.
