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A VR Experience for Learning Kidney Structure and Function

Kidney Anatomy | Education | VR | Public Health

Step inside the human body. Explore the kidneys. Discover how they work.

An immersive VR experience that makes kidney anatomy and disease education engaging and interactive.

This study has been published in the book Enhancing Biomedical Education-Integrating Digital Visualization and 3D Technologies.

Role & Scope

Led end-to-end product design and development of an immersive VR experience for kidney anatomy and chronic kidney disease (CKD) education. Defined product vision, interaction 3D model, and feature scope for a spatial learning experience aimed at the general public.

Problem & Challenge

CKD often goes undiagnosed due to limited symptoms and low public awareness. although it is preventable and treatable, yet many people don’t know what their kidneys do or how to protect them. The challenge was to create an intuitive VR experience that makes kidney anatomy understandable, engaging, and educational.

Product Vision

  • Introduce a spatial, immersive approach to kidney education that goes beyond textbooks and videos

  • Enable intuitive exploration of internal kidney structures from outer layers to the glomerulus

  • Raise public awareness of CKD risk factors and preventive measures through interactive storytelling

Product Solution

  • Layered 3D anatomy: Users explore the kidney from outer structure to glomerulus using accurate CT-based models.

  • Immersive, interactive learning: Spatial interactions allow users to manipulate and navigate structures in VR.

  • Contextual education: Integrated content on diabetic kidney disease to raise awareness and encourage preventive behaviours.

Target Audience

General public, with emphasis on preventive health education

Creating 3D models using real CT imaging data.

CT dataset processing and anatomical segmentation

Innermost layer (glomerulus) in VR

Kidney Exploration VR Demo

Full research study can be found here:

Chen, X., Poyade, M., Rea, P.M. (2024). Kidney Exploration: A Virtual Reality Experience for Public Understanding of the Structure and Function of the Kidneys. In: Gröning, F. (eds) Enhancing Biomedical Education. Biomedical Visualization, vol 7. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73270-6_11