Miami Cancer Institute’s Infusionarium [1] hosted an “out of this world” virtual experience for pediatric oncology patients, with the help of scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory [2].
Pediatric oncology treatment can be emotionally and physically exhausting. The Infusionarium uses virtual reality and live feeds to connect patients to an experience that can help ease the effects of chemotherapy. This particular connection allowed patients to learn about Curiosity, a NASA Rover which spent four years on the surface of Mars. The children were amazed to hear about how Curiosity drove over very rugged terrain and managed to snap over 100,000 pictures, including some ‘selfies’.
(Dr. Moo Cooper, a planetary protection engineer and Amanda Steffy, systems engineer, share insights into the Curiosity Mars Rover direct from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Video by George Carvalho)