I need to start this post with a double disclosure, because Cisco System's interactive, virtual world model
of Palomar West, a "hospital of the future" set to open in 2011, is a production of New World Notes partner Millions of Us, and the project is headed by my friend (and fellow ex-Linden) Lauren Millionsofus. But I just gave it a brief solo tour, and it strikes me as genuinely cool. (Even if Lauren just made my avatar get poked and prodded by robot medical arms while virtual doctors watched me on a telemetry feed.)
A prototype creation of the building design, it's also gives you a first-hand, automated 
demonstration
of the technology that'll come with the facility. You attach an RFID
band to your wrist, which launches a series of scripted triggers that
guides to your hospital room, where you get an automated scan, moving
you to the operating theater, then back to recovery. I'm more than a
bit skeptical that the medical/data technology will work as smoothly as
shown, but it's still a pretty compelling illustration of what the
developers ultimately intend. More data at Virtual World News. (And here's the official machinima video.)
That looks so awesome. How do you
rate, getting a personal tour.
And why oh why three years from
now? Gaa, in SL, that's like forever!
Posted by: Seraphine | Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 07:13 AM
Open to the public!
Posted by: Hamlet Au | Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 08:26 AM
Looks good - you should also take a look at Second Health which has been open on the SciLands for quite a few months now - a project involving the UK's National Health service.
See: http://secondhealth.wordpress.com/
Posted by: Daniel Livingstone | Monday, March 03, 2008 at 05:30 AM