Amputee Virtual Environment Support Space (AVESS) is a virtual environment to bridge the gap between amputee patients and social support; it provides anonymity and liberation from physical afflictions. It was launched in September 2009 and founded by Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC). Virtual Ability Inc. and ADL Company are both partners in the TATRC project.
AVESS has the potential to provide much needed support for amputee patients wherever they are and whenever they need it. The environment is a secure, well designed platform that, when coupled with the freeing nature of interacting via a virtual avatar,could provide solace to ease the trauma of physically losing a limb (especially if it was populated by others suffering through the same condition(s)).
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/AVESS/183/104/24
Article URL: http://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jour/10/476/thompson.html
A demo of the project is available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=oUt2_C3SKlg