Intelligent Haptronic Solutions at WAIC 2020 – Intelligent Haptronic Solutions Inc.

MEDIA – Intelligent Haptronic Solutions (IHS) presented its virtual reality (VR) endoscopy training simulator at this year’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), held virtually in Shanghai, China from July 9-11 2020. This year, the international conference brought together major industry leaders in the fields of Education, Health, Transportation, Finance, Industrial Infrastructure, Basic Technology, Urban Planning, and Business to showcase the latest artificial intelligence (AI) applications under the themes of “Intelligent Connectivity, Indivisible Community”. With more than 100 companies participating globally, IHS was selected for the opportunity and platform to share its cutting-edge AI, haptics, VR, and cloud computing technologies for enhanced surgical training.

With the theme of "Intelligent Connectivity and Indivisible Community", the WAIC is an international forum attracting influential AI scientists and entrepreneurs around the world to discuss industry trends and technological innovations in AI

Zhouming Tang, CEO and Founder of IHS, was featured in WAIC’s International Day program, and shared the company’s use of AI for instructional guidance in its VR endoscopy training simulator prototype. The discussion focused on the advanced technologies housed within the surgical simulator, including its application of neural networks, machine learning, and computer graphics analysis. Other technical features of IHS’ endoscopy simulator such as its haptic force feedback, human-computer interaction, and virtual organ reconstruction from medical imaging data were shared, in addition to the development progress of clinical training cases and tasks with medical experts and endoscopists. IHS is working closely with leading gastroenterologists and medical experts from top tier hospitals, Tsinghua Changyu Hospital, Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University, Shenzhen University General Hospital, and Fujian Cancer Hospital, to ensure the next generation endoscopy simulator is developed with China’s training standards and practice guidelines in mind. The endoscopy simulator prototype is set to launch in FY21 Q1 at eleven partner hospitals and medical schools in China, and will enter clinical validation with Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University at the end of August 2020. The simulator prototype provides basic endoscopy skills training, and diagnostic and therapeutic upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy training, and will extend to cover colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, and advanced endoscopic procedures.

The company has recently completed angel round financing in 2019 with Chinese venture capital group, Yuanzhen Value Investment Development Co., Ltd. And Hongtai Capital Holdings.

For more information on IHS’ endoscopy simulator, contactzhouming-tang@intelligent-haptronic-solutions.comPerhaps the biggest challenge with use of virtual reality surgical simulators as objective assessment tools is demonstrating construct validity (the degree to which test items for a set of procedures identify the quality, ability, or trait it was designed to measure) and linking simulator outcome measures and parameters to clinical performance. Presently, few studies of existing virtual reality simulators for gastrointestinal endoscopy show construct validity.

About IHS

Founded in 2017, Intelligent Haptronic Solutions is a medical robotics company focused on developing industry-leading VR simulation solutions for surgical training and beyond. The IHS team bolsters senior engineering talent from Canada and China, with dual Research and Development centres in Vancouver, Canada and Shenzhen, China. Together with reputable gastroenterologists and medical experts from North America and China, IHS’ endoscopy simulator is engineered to provide the most realistic, learner-centered environment for surgical trainees to practice and acquire critical endoscopic skills and techniques for clinical competency. The simulator is developed with global training standards and practice guidelines in mind and engineered to enhance the quality of medical education.

IHS intends to expand its surgical simulation products to other specialties in the medical field and robotics-assisted surgery. The company’s roadmap includes creating haptic hardware and software solutions for education, industry, gaming, entertainment and other industries.