Real World Navigation System For Japanese Hospital Created With OpenSim Metaverse Technology

Anyone who's gotten lost on a sprawling college campus or another kind of large complex knows the frustrations with trying to read those 2D directory maps with a "You are here" red dot, because it's difficult to discern where "here" is in relation to everything else. In Japan's Kanazawa Medical University Hospital, however, you can find your way with a 3D mapping display that uses an OpenSimulator virtual world server to depict the hospital layout, connected to a touchscreen monitor. (Here's a Japanese language article on the technology.)

It's called the 3D Communication Navi System, a product created by partner metaverse developers Ableseed and Metabirds, which has an extended write-up of the system on its site. The hospital paid the developers 1,500,000 Yen (about USD$ 16,000) to implement it. "Kanazawa Medical University Hospital is using a standalone version so far," Metabirds' Naoyoshi Shimaya tells me by email. "One PC, with OpenSim standalone server, and viewer." He believes the hospital is considering an extended, networked version.

But why create this technology with virtual world technology, as opposed to real world video?

Shimaya argues a virtual version is easier than assembling video footage for every possible Point A-to-Point B request. "Using 3D digital world," as he puts it, "we can create navigation to any place when we want." (From my vantage, a 3D simulation is easier to "read" than real world video of the same location, since the virtual version can be visually streamlined to show only the most essential aspects.)

Metabirds was recently named an official Second Life solution provider; in this case, however, they opted for OpenSim, the open source spin-off of SL. "We can make server, customize... do anything with it," Shimaya explains. "And Japanese customers sometimes don't like servers and datacenter outside of Japan. Using OpenSim, we can solve a part of this problem." Unlike the recently-departed Rezzable, however, he tells me Metabirds remains as committed to Second Life. "We are interested in Second Life and OpenSim more than any other virtual world services."

Image credits: Chunichi news, Metabirds.com. Much thanks to Sanny Yoshikawa, New World Notes' Japanese translator, who first brought me this news.

Comments

[Neptune Rebel]

Any chance we can get an english translation of the detailed information of the system? Google Translator is pretty harsh.

[Valiant Westland]

These are the type of innovative virtual world solutions I would love to see displayed at SLCC. Perhaps next year we will see a true Second Life User Conference / Trade Show, complete with a vendor exhibition.