CVrS3: A multi-user training tool for spine surgery
Mr. Boulay presently works for the Canada Research Chair in CAD/CAM Innovation in Orthopedic Engineering, directed by Professor Carl-Éric Aubin. Mr. Boulay is fine-tuning a simulation tool called the CVrS3, or Collaborative Virtual Reality Spine Surgery Simulator. Eventually, the software he is developing may be used as a training tool for surgeons treating patients with scoliosis, a serious condition that leads to curvature of the spine. The surgery, which calls for the insertion of pedicle screws close to the spinal cord, is delicate and risky: one tiny error on the part of the surgeon can mean total lower-body paralysis for the patient.

The multi-user aspect of the software is of prime importance and represents a significant challenge. As Mr. Boulay explains, scoliosis surgery generally requires two surgeons working in tandem. Through a shared interactive environment, video cameras and microphone-equipped headsets, CVrS3 users -- no matter where they are on the planet -- can see each other as they move around the virtual operating room, communicate orally and interact as they perform surgery on a virtual patient. The simulator's operating principle is not unlike a multi-user video game, except that here the aim is learning rather than entertainment! What's more, compared to the extreme rarity and prohibitive cost of immersive virtual reality environments such as the CAVE and ImmersaDesk systems (on the fifth floor of Polytechnique's main building and at the Hôpital Sainte-Justine respectively), Mr. Boulay's software can be used on a regular computer with a mouse and 2D screen. 

As Mr. Boulay points out, the field of virtual reality has enormous potential. While his current work is in medicine, he doesn't expect to limit himself to any one area. Passionate about his research, he hopes to eventually explore new approaches and possibly even launch his own business.

From the laboratory to the mainstream
Open to all graduate students, the Concours de vulgarisation scientifique contest is an opportunity for emerging researchers to make their work accessible to the general public, be it in the field of philosophy, literature, demographics, nutrition, biotechnology, oceanography, science or the environment.

"Research has the power to shake up the status quo, for better or for worse," Mr. Boulay observes. "I believe that making science accessible to the layman equips the public to make informed decisions about issues that affect their future."

For more information on the work of Jacques-André Boulay, consult his Web site at: http://www.info.polymtl.ca/~jaboub/cvrs3.html

ACFAS Web site: http://www.acfas.ca/