Cisco Systems

Client Scenario

A $900m state-of-the-art facility, the new Palomar West Medical Campus in San Diego, which is currently under construction, is scheduled to open in 2011. Cisco Systems, the communications provider for the campus wanted to showcase the hospital's many advanced communications features with an immersive, interactive simulation in Second Life. Millions of Us was asked to bring this vision to life.

Approach

Working closely with Cisco, we designed the virtual Palomar West so that it would hew closely in design to architectural plans for the physical facility, highlighting the hospital’s embrace of natural elements and its integrated IT & media systems. An example is the virtual recreation of the “advanced surgical cockpit,” from where a surgeon can manipulate robotic systems remotely while viewing vital signs and functional imaging information in real time. The hospital is set in an elegantly lifelike virtual campus, including garden spaces, areas for dining, meeting or relaxing; a pedestrian path and garden connecting all buildings; a green roof bringing gardens up onto the building, with views from patient rooms; and garden terraces on the nursing floor.

Results

In addition to providing an ongoing virtual venue for both Cisco and Palomar to showcase their vision of this sophisticated facility while it's still under construction, Millions of Us created a short film offering a tour of the virtual hospital. An excellent tool for conveying the benefits of a highly networked, next-generation facility like Palomar West, this film helped draw wide-ranging media attention to the project, including coverage from publications such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Forbes. Also used for internal education at both Cisco and Palomar, the film still sees life today.