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The Virtual Operating Room is a virtual environment using state of the art virtual reality technology, computer graphics and medical simulators (e.g. laproscopy simulators or the wound debridement simulator). The application was developed at VMASC ODU with staff from the Eastern Virginia Medical School.

The application runs in a CAVE virtual environment to simulate the operating room. The project aims to enable training medical personnel for improved team interaction and performance under stress.

It features real time 3D graphical renderings of virtual medical staff, created using character animation techniques and motion capture data. The animations cover gross body movements as well as hand movements as necessary for a surgical environment. A virtual agent using the Haptek engine was also created. This real-time 3D character's dialogue and facial expressions are guided by the application storyboard. The responses are then synchronised with the trainee's behaviour, enabling the agent to 'step a trainee through' a lesson.