Photo by Matt de Simone
By Matt de Simone
Contributing writer
Last Thursday at the Botetourt County School Board meeting, Supervisor for Career Technical Education (CTE) Mike Ketron introduced the School Board and members of the community to a revealing new instrument implemented by the nurses at the Botetourt Technical Education Center (BTEC).
CTE is currently looking to collaborate with schools in the area on projects that would enhance learning experiences for students taking anatomy or physiology classes and students seeking a career in physical education.
Before the presentation could begin, Ketron asked School Board Chair Michael Beahm to assist him during the presentation. The CTE supervisor held a blue T-shirt with a pixilated print of a skeleton representing the ribcage and spinal column. The shirt is a Curiscope Virtuali-Tee— an augmented reality 3D program designed to explore the circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems.
Augmented reality (AR) technology is something that has become more popular over the last decade. Magazines and comic books have used this tech to help sell products or enhance reading experiences for their subscribers. Curiscope takes this idea to the next level. Through an app on a smartphone, the user frames up the person wearing the shirt, and then with the press of a button, people have the opportunity to learn more about themselves on the inside.
Ketron made Beahm the guinea pig for the demonstration of the Curiscope shirt. Those in attendance got a chance to look at the app in motion as Ketron’s desktop displayed Beahm, the shirt, and Beahm’s respiratory system on monitors around the room. “This tool is something fun for our nursing department to take to classes in elementary schools,” Ketron explained. “The students think it’s really cool.”
Photo by Matt de Simone
