From the creation of simulated trauma patients used to train military medics, to virtual 3D people used to diagnose and treat patients, the place to be for some of the latest gaming and digital media technology for health and medical applications is Orlando, Florida.

Orlando is one of the top 12 clusters in the country for digital media, as well as one of only two cities in the world with a large-scale 'medical city' complex underway. The digital media and medical sectors are converging, bringing new innovations to life. Numerous people and organizations are leading the way.

* 360Ed has teamed up with the Florida Department of Health and the University of Florida College of Medicine to develop Burn Center, an interactive, 3D, game-based technology used to train medical professionals at trauma centers, hospitals and universities across the country. The purpose of the program is to improve the triage and care of critically injured victims of burn, bomb and blast disasters.

* To become better doctors, the new University of Central Florida College of Medicine is engaging its first class of medical school students in playing games. A web-based avatar program developed by UCF Assistant Professor David Segal is helping students learn how to properly evaluate and diagnose a variety of patient ailments. The digital patients can respond to questions, sneeze, cough, age and even call students in the middle of the night with an illness.

* Engineering & Computer Simulations Inc. (ECS) developed a virtual world called Nexus to help first responders train and collaborate during natural disasters. The company also has a contract with the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) to train military medical professionals.

* Emergency Medicine Learning & Resource Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and advancing emergency medicine, disaster management, pre-hospital emergency care and public health by providing annual continuing medical education and research activities. Its 45-foot Mobile Simulation Lab (motor coach) trains emergency providers around the state. The Lab utilizes simulation technologies to train real lifesavers on everything from ER care, to pandemic flu, nerve agents, blast
injuries and more.

* Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC) merges special effects with simulation technology at its Center for Injury Creation Science. Attracted to Metro Orlando because of the strength of the region's simulation and training industry combined with the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, the company develops prosthetic tissue and wounds for medical training purposes, among several other focus areas. These prosthetics can be adhered to mannequins or human actors and create a
realistic training environment for combat medics or first responders.

A new partnership between Florida Hospital and the Burnham Institute for Medical Research at Lake Nona brings two powerhouse organizations together to tackle the growing health problems of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. The goal of the two organizations, who are collaborating to establish a new health research institute, is to bridge the distance between research in the lab and treatment at the bedside.

Dr. Steve R. Smith, an internationally-renowned diabetes and obesity researcher, was introduced on Monday as the executive director of the new Florida Hospital - Burnham Clinical Research Institute. The Institute, scheduled to open in 2012, will be housed in a 35,000 square foot building on Princeton Street. Located adjacent to the Florida Hospital South Campus, the new facility will serve as the gateway to Florida Hospital's "Health Village".

"With this partnership, we hope to change how diabetes and obesity research is conducted," said Dr. Steven R. Smith. "This new institute will help break down the distance that exists between research and the clinic and help make it possible to deliver results faster and on a personalized level."

Community and business leaders, who gathered for the announcement on Monday, lauded this as another milestone for the fast-emerging life science cluster that is transforming the Metro Orlando economy.

There's Mosaic, Arcadian Broad and Drew Thomas Magic. If you're not familiar with these names, they're among the folks that made it to the Top 40 in the popular America's Got Talent show. They have something else in common. They all come from a city where creative talent is building ... and in the eyes of Richard Florida (of the popular 'Creative Class' theory), that's one of the key ingredients to economic competitiveness, transformation and innovation.

Orlando, Florida, has become a place where creative talent is flowing and in multiple industries. The region, long known as an entertainment destination, has transformed into a technology hub that's entertaining company leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, workers and young minds alike. Here are some reasons why:

This week, Orlando welcomed its inaugural class of 41 med students at the University of Central Florida's (UCF) new College of Medicine -- the first medical school in U.S. history to offer full, four-year scholarships to an entire class. The new college is one anchor in a new 'medical city' underway - one of only two such developments happening in the world right now. It's joined by the recently opened East Coast hub for The Burnham Institute for Medical Research, and forthcoming openings of the University of Florida Research Facility, Veterans Affairs Hospital, M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Institute and Nemours Children's Hospital. Economic analysts predict that by year 10 of operation, the world's newest life sciences cluster here could create 30,000 jobs and $7.6 billion economic activity.

At UCF, research and patents are on the rise. UCF, now the fifth largest university in the nation, has seen research funding (and subsequent lab space) grow exponentially in the past decade, from $37.5 million in 1999 to the new record high of $122.8 million in 2008. Additionally, UCF's patent portfolio was ranked in the top 10 of 122 universities in the U.S.

Inventors, scientists and entrepreneurs are thriving here. New drugs, therapies and vaccines are being developed ... one scientist is genetically modifying lettuce heads to produce insulin in the quest to develop a cure for diabetes. An entrepreneur has developed ultra-portable personal air-conditioners for military personnel. Another is developing advanced micro-batteries for use in medical, alternative energy and other applications. In addition, the number of incubators has grown rapidly here, opening the door to more entrepreneurs.

A new Photonics Academy was created at a local high school in partnership with Northrop Grumman to encourage student interest in the laser/photonics field. This new academy joins others already in existence, including one focusing on simulation (an industry with a top-ranked cluster in Orlando).

Nation-leading digital media schools in Orlando-- Full Sail University and UCF's Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy -- continue to see enrollment grow in this burgeoning field.

Entrepreneur Magazine recently recognized Orlando as one of best places to start a business. Forbes recently recognized Orlando one of best cities for tech jobs. And Next Generation Consulting ranked Orlando as a top hot spot for young professionals.

From the creation of simulated trauma patients used to train military medics, to virtual 3D people used to diagnose and treat patients, the place to be for some of the latest gaming and digital media technology for health and medical applications is Orlando, Florida.

Orlando is one of the top 12 clusters in the country for digital media, as well as one of only two cities in the world with a large-scale 'medical city' complex underway. The digital media and medical sectors are converging, bringing new innovations to life. Numerous people and organizations are leading the way.

360Ed has teamed up with the Florida Department of Health and the University of Florida College of Medicine to develop Burn Center, an interactive, 3D, game-based technology used to train medical professionals at trauma centers, hospitals and universities across the country. The purpose of the program is to improve the triage and care of critically injured victims of burn, bomb and blast disasters.

Virtual Reality Medical Center - Orlando (VRMC) develops and uses computer-generated simulations and other special effects to treat clients with panic disorder, specific phobias, agoraphobia and social phobia. VRMC has partnered with the University of Central Florida to create a virtual game (featuring flying, smash-able insects) to aid stroke survivors in expanding their range of movement.

To become better doctors, the new University of Central Florida College of Medicine will engage its first class of medical school students in playing games. A web-based avatar program developed by UCF Assistant Professor David Segal will help students learn how to properly evaluate and diagnose a variety of patient ailments. The digital patients can respond to questions, sneeze, cough, age and even call students in the middle of the night with an illness.

Engineering & Computer Simulations Inc. (ECS) developed a virtual world called Nexus to help first responders train and collaborate during natural disasters. The company also has a contract with the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) to train military medical professionals.

GeoMotion Group is dedicated to being an innovative fitness leader. Its goal is to meet the training needs of individuals and groups, for all fitness levels and for any age. Two innovative products, the GeoMat and the GeoFloat were created to meet this goal. Used in elementary, middle and high schools, the GeoMat is used to teach locomotor moves, number recognition, number sequencing and math problem solving using a variety of activities and aids. The GeoFloat is used for exercising in water and works the core and stabilization muscles more effectively than other existing products.

Emergency Medicine Learning & Resource Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and advancing emergency medicine, disaster management, prehospital emergency care and public health by providing annual continuing medical education and research activities. Its 45-foot Mobile Simulation Lab (motor coach) trains emergency providers around the state. The Lab utilizes simulation technologies to train real lifesavers on everything from ER care, to pandemic flu, nerve agents, blast injuries and more.

When the Burnham Institute for Medical Research unveiled its dream to establish a research facility in Metro Orlando, that plan was helped along by Florida's Blood Centers, who offered 14,000 square feet of existing wet lab space in FBC's headquarters in Orlando's SouthPark to serve as temporary office and research space for Burnham scientists. With those scientists now moved into Burnham's permanent east coast facility in Lake Nona, Florida's Blood Centers has offered use of that same space for another significant community purpose: to establish and house a specialized biotech incubator, which will serve as a catalyst for the region's growing life science industry.

Recognizing that the fulfillment of Orlando's quest to become a significant life science hub will take many years and rely on the creation, as well as the attraction, of related companies, the EDC has been in talks with Florida's Blood Centers to create an incubator to help grow new companies specific to the biotech and life science industry. The University of Central Florida, whose tech incubator network has been recognized among the best in the world, is also involved in ongoing discussions. While details are still being finalized, the 14,000 square feet of biology and chemistry labs could eventually house six or more start-up companies in various stages of growth.

News of the proposed bio incubator spread quickly at the international BIO Conference, which members of the EDC team attended on behalf of our region. During meetings with companies there, it was clear that having a biotech-specific incubator would provide Metro Orlando with a competitive edge; and several companies have already expressed interest in taking space in the facility.

With warm weather and consistent sunshine, Florida is an ideal location for solar research and application. And with growing awareness of clean technology, Orlando is poised to become a leading force in the solar industry.

The existence of a strong technology cluster and proximity to the University of Central Florida (UCF) - one of the nation's top research universities - help set Orlando apart. In addition to research being conducted by UCF's Florida Solar Energy Center, local companies are working to leave their mark on the industry as well. Lake Mary based Advanced Solar Photonics is poised to become Florida's first photovoltaic solar manufacturer by producing thin-film solar panels. In nearby Longwood, SKYShades is merging shade structures and solar power by harnessing thin-film solar technology atop sidewalk umbrellas dubbed "Powerbrellas" in order to power small electronics.

For more information on the growing clean tech industry in Metro Orlando, click here.

Watch below as Executive Vice President of SKYShades, Joe McKenna, provides more info on the "Powerbrella."

Orlando-based Emergency Medicine Learning Resource Center (EMLRC) provides pre-hospital emergency care providers with the medical training necessary for disaster situations. The company's Mobile Emergency Simulation Lab (SimLab) is a motor coach designed to resemble a simulated ER and ambulance, allowing first responders to train in a realistic environment. This training prepares first responders for disaster situations they may encounter.



Inside the training center are responsive mannequins that act out real world injuries and illnesses. The simulation lab is on the road five days a week visiting hospitals, EMS agencies and fire departments. EMLRC is the first mobile simulation lab in the country.



Watch Beth Brunner, CEO of EMLRC give a tour of the SimLab.

Robots - no longer as futuristic as they once seemed - can take many forms, some quite different than the traditional image the word conjures up. And the future of robotics, from healthcare to warfare, is evolving in Metro Orlando's hospitals, companies, military research commands and laboratories.

In fact, it's in the medical field where robots are making some of the biggest advances.

At the Global Robotics Institute at Celebration Health, part of the Florida Hospital network, Dr. Vipul Patel, the world's leading robotic surgeon, utilizes the da Vinci robot to perform minimally-invasive surgeries. In addition, at the Global Robotics Institute, Dr. Patel trains surgeons around the world.

Orlando Health was one of the first medical centers in Florida to have the "Dr. Robot" technology. This robot, formally known as the RP-7, is a nearly human-shaped robot that consists of a video monitor for a face, digital cameras for eyes and microphones for two-way communication. "Dr. Robot" makes it possible for a doctor at a remote location to talk with the patient without actually being there.

And research is underway at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Because robotics is a diverse field that incorporates many different aspects of science and technology, students from a variety of study disciplines gather in the Robotics Laboratory at UCF to conduct research on ground, underwater, surface and aerial vehicles.

For more about Orlando's future in robotics, click here.

Most of us living in Florida take our comfort for granted. We can even control our own personal environment with the simple flick of a switch -- until we walk outside. But what if there were a way to create a personal air conditioner portable enough to take with you anywhere you went?

This may seem a bit decadent for everyday life, even in our summer heat, but what if your job required you to wear a heavy, barely-breathable suit for safety reasons under harsh environmental conditions? Imagine a solider working in a sealed biohazard suit in a HazMat situation in Iraq, or a firefighter attempting to control an intense chemical blaze.

In these cases a personal air conditioner could actually save lives. The concept of personal climate control, one that has interested the military for decades, caught the attention of Dr. Daniel P. Rini, founder of Oviedo-based Rini Technologies, Inc. (RTI). An expert in cooling technology, Rini's company recently produced the first viable prototype of an ultra-portable personal air-conditioner.

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Two Olympic gold medals (1996 and 2000) prove softball is very, very good to Dot Richardson. Singled out as a star with the first U.S. hit and the first softball homerun in Olympic history, she was an NBC commentator at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, delivering play-by-play as her former U.S. Women's Softball Team won its third consecutive gold medal.

However, as an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, Richardson has a more enduring and direct impact on the lives of other American and international athletes of all sports. That includes Central Florida residents who want to improve fitness and athletic prowess. As medical director of the National Training Center (NTC), part of a 300-acre sports, health and education campus in Clermont, Fla., west of Orlando, Richardson establishes the vision and goals for this nonprofit branch of South Lake Hospital. Her focus is on state-of-the-art facilities,
sports science, performance programs and research in adolescent obesity, activity levels and shoulder injuries.

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