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Why are you basing medical appliance on such a walled-garden technology you aren't in control of, while there are more accessible alternatives? Oculus was alrea

Why are you basing medical appliance on such a walled-garden technology you aren't in control of, while there are more accessible alternatives? Oculus was already known for locking up fiascos, this really shouldn't be a surprise for you.

mattnewport 9y ago
Our product is a training aid for medical professionals not a medical appliance. We're not fundamentally tied to any particular VR device but Oculus has been our primary platform due to better ergonomics and an easier setup experience for a portable demo rig than the Vive.
Kelbit 9y ago
This is fairly common practice in the medical device field. Volumes for specialized equipment are far too low to justify the NRE on custom solutions, so many low-volume medical devices integrate COTS solutions wherever possible. It doesn't help that vendors are generally nervous about liability in medical equipment (this fear is often unfounded, but persistent). As a result, vendors of commercial and industrial equipment generally don't want to engage medical device OEMs with engineering and customization support. If there had been that sort of support in this case, Oculus might have made a custom build without the cert check, just as a de-risking measure. This vendor reluctance is especially present at the FDA Class III (high risk device) level - most vendors outright prohibit use of their devices in these products. It's an open secret that this still happens anyway in a wink-wink nudge-nudge fashion, just without vendor support - which is arguably worse, but it keeps the lawyers happy.
SkyPuncher 9y ago
I think you underestimate how many companies build technologies off of walled gardens - especially in Healthcare.
- CaptSpify 9y ago
  Although you are correct, I don't see how that really matters. Just because a lot of people do it doesn't make it a good idea.
  - Filligree 9y ago
    What's the alternative they should have been using?
    - seba_dos1 9y ago
      Anything based on OpenVR or OSVR? It's not like Oculus is a monopolist in this space, it's just one of the popular options and it's known to be the most locked up.
y_tho 9y ago
Wouldn't be the first time in the industry: https://twitter.com/JanHenrikH/status/910754596422868992/photo/1 https://twitter.com/JanHenrikH/status/910754596422868992/pho...
salvar 9y ago
I don't think you understand what a medical appliance is.

mattnewport 9y ago

Our product is a training aid for medical professionals not a medical appliance. We're not fundamentally tied to any particular VR device but Oculus has been our primary platform due to better ergonomics and an easier setup experience for a portable demo rig than the Vive.

Kelbit 9y ago

This is fairly common practice in the medical device field. Volumes for specialized equipment are far too low to justify the NRE on custom solutions, so many low-volume medical devices integrate COTS solutions wherever possible. It doesn't help that vendors are generally nervous about liability in medical equipment (this fear is often unfounded, but persistent). As a result, vendors of commercial and industrial equipment generally don't want to engage medical device OEMs with engineering and customization support. If there had been that sort of support in this case, Oculus might have made a custom build without the cert check, just as a de-risking measure. This vendor reluctance is especially present at the FDA Class III (high risk device) level - most vendors outright prohibit use of their devices in these products. It's an open secret that this still happens anyway in a wink-wink nudge-nudge fashion, just without vendor support - which is arguably worse, but it keeps the lawyers happy.

SkyPuncher 9y ago

I think you underestimate how many companies build technologies off of walled gardens - especially in Healthcare.

CaptSpify 9y ago
Although you are correct, I don't see how that really matters. Just because a lot of people do it doesn't make it a good idea.
- Filligree 9y ago
  What's the alternative they should have been using?
  - seba_dos1 9y ago
    Anything based on OpenVR or OSVR? It's not like Oculus is a monopolist in this space, it's just one of the popular options and it's known to be the most locked up.

y_tho 9y ago

Wouldn't be the first time in the industry: https://twitter.com/JanHenrikH/status/910754596422868992/photo/1 https://twitter.com/JanHenrikH/status/910754596422868992/pho...

salvar 9y ago

I don't think you understand what a medical appliance is.