On July 27 a team from the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Western Space, led by faculty member Dr. Adam Sirek, sent an individual via holographic teleportation from Alabama into a boardroom at Western. They also sent students back to Alabama using the tech, all in real–time.
Holographic teleportation or holoport (a combination of the hologram and teleport) is when a hologram of a person or an object is transmitted instantaneously to another location.
Imagine a patient in Nunavut receiving an exam from a specialist for some shoulder pain they’re experiencing only the doctor is not physically there. It’s a holographic image of the doctor interacting with the patient in real-time while the doctor is in their office in Toronto. The hologram can look over the patient, speak to them and provide an exam as if they were physically present. Does this even sound plausible? For Sirek and his team, it’s the near future.
“We had the incredible opportunity to demonstrate the first international, two-way holographic teleportation this summer,” said Sirek. The demonstration was done in partnership with Aexa Aerospace out of Houston, Texas, a provider of custom software for mixed and virtual reality devices.
Sirek’s interests and preoccupations have not been too far from the fantastic. He describes himself as “a family physician with a passion for aerospace medicine.” and has been involved in aviation since his teenage years, receiving his pilot licence at 16.
“Merging aviation, engineering and physiology into aerospace medicine is what drives me,” said Sirek.
What got you interested in holographic teleportation?
Adam Sirek (Submitted)
This technology was first explored as part of the Ax-1 mission (the first fully private crew mission to the International Space Station scheduled for April) to evaluate a more in-depth communication method for long-duration spaceflight. The pandemic quickly led to the evolution of many audio-visual platforms and the 3-dimensionality of this product makes it the logical next step for telepresence.
The technology is in its infancy but the potential for real-world use is only just beginning to be understood.
What are the implications of this technology for medicine?
It can impact a number of factors including physician access to remote areas. I think it’s going to be a significant game-changer for rural health care. Compared to phone, computer or tablet communication, having the visual representation of the person in your space changes the dynamic.
Do you also see immediate possibilities in other sectors?
We look again from a space perspective; wouldn’t it be nice if you were on a three-month deployment to the space station, but you could come down and sit in the room with your family for dinner at home? Perhaps those serving in the military could holoport home for their children’s birthdays. Gathering with family at a great distance is suddenly more attainable.
This technology is just around the corner from being available for public and commercial use. Aexa Aerospace continues to improve the software and I could easily imagine this replacing Zoom meetings in the next year or two.
Endnotes 2022
This story is part of our Endnotes 2022 series which showcases the people behind some of the year’s most compelling Western stories.
