We are happy to highlight another winner of the Discovery Stage of the E-cup competition who took a Social Entrepreneurship angle to their ventures. The Discovery Stage is the second stage of the competition, where finalists percent how their product/service aligns with customer needs and “de-risk” their idea. We are proud to have changemaker classmates among us and want to celebrate their efforts as they continue forward to build their businesses with newly-acquired funding. Read on to learn more about Stanislaus Tandelilin's VR startup!

Who is on the team?

Stanislaus Mahesworo Christandito Tandelilin

Darden MBA Class of 2023

tym9tr@virginia.edu

Hometown: Indonesia

What is the problem you are trying to solve? 

The traditional medical education system has long relied on textbooks, lectures, and limited hands-on experiences to teach students the essential skills and knowledge they need to excel in their careers. However, this approach has several limitations. For one, it can be challenging to translate theoretical knowledge into practical skills without adequate hands-on practice. Additionally, the current system often fails to cater to diverse learning styles, leading to suboptimal educational outcomes for many students.

Moreover, with the rapid advancements in medical science and technology, it is becoming increasingly important for healthcare professionals to keep pace with the latest developments and adapt to new tools and techniques. In this context, there is a growing need for a more dynamic, interactive, and engaging educational system that prepares future healthcare professionals for the challenges they will face in their careers.

What is your solution?

Introducing Aruvana, our groundbreaking Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) startup based in Indonesia. Our primary objective is to revolutionize the learning experience for medical students, young doctors, and nurses by providing immersive 3D experiences specifically designed for medical education. We believe that our innovative approach can significantly enhance knowledge retention, leading to better-prepared healthcare professionals and improved patient outcomes.

Located in Indonesia, Aruvana is dedicated to utilizing state-of-the-art VR and AR technology to develop interactive and engaging educational content. Our focus is on delivering a more enjoyable and efficient learning journey for those committed to the healthcare profession. By combining cutting-edge technology with a user-centric approach, we aim to make a lasting impact on medical education and contribute to the betterment of healthcare services worldwide.

Aruvana aims to address these challenges by harnessing the power of VR and AR technology to create immersive, realistic, and engaging learning experiences for medical students, young doctors, and nurses. Our platform offers a wide range of interactive 3D content, including virtual dissections, surgical simulations, and patient case scenarios, allowing learners to develop critical skills and gain practical experience in a safe and controlled environment.

By providing medical students with hands-on practice opportunities that closely mimic real-world situations, we enable them to build their confidence and competence in performing medical procedures, making diagnoses, and communicating with patients. Furthermore, our platform caters to various learning styles, allowing each student to learn at their own pace and in a manner that suits them best.

What is the progress you have made so far? 

Aruvana is currently in the process of developing and refining our platform, working closely with our collaborators and partners to create a diverse range of high-quality educational content. We have already received positive feedback from early users, who have praised our platform's ability to provide a more engaging, interactive, and effective learning experience compared to traditional methods.

In the near future, we plan to expand our content library, focusing on high-demand subjects and skills that are particularly challenging for students to learn through traditional means. Additionally, we will continue to invest in research and development to further enhance our platform's capabilities and ensure that it remains at the forefront of medical education technology.

Furthermore, we are actively seeking partnerships with medical schools, hospitals, and other healthcare organizations to pilot our platform and gather valuable feedback from users. This will enable us to refine our product offerings, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately provide the best possible learning experience for our users.  

What are you planning on doing with your winnings and what next steps will you take?

Having secured $5,000, we are now ready to grow and initiate B2B promotion by hiring designers, medical consultants, and analysts to write a healthcare metaverse white paper for Aruvana. This white paper will be distributed free into the healthcare industry in Indonesia and hopefully generate buzz to get inbound leads to secure more partnership going forward.

In the future, we will continue exploring other grants and competitions to acquire additional perspectives and resources for our venture. 

What were the main challenges you encountered during your process and what have you learned?

One of the main challenges we encountered was persuading medical institutions and professionals to adopt our cutting-edge VR and AR solutions, as the healthcare industry is often cautious when it comes to integrating new technologies. This necessitated that we provide compelling evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness and dependability of our educational tools. In addition, developing precise and detailed 3D content for medical training required a considerable investment of time, resources, and domain expertise. It was crucial for us to ensure that the content we created adhered to the stringent standards of the medical community while complying with up-to-date medical knowledge and best practices.

Another challenge we faced was making sure that our VR and AR solutions remained both accessible and affordable for educational institutions in Indonesia. We needed to find a balance between delivering a top-notch immersive experience and providing a cost-effective solution tailored to our target audience. As a startup working within the medical education sector, we were confronted with a complex regulatory environment and the need to forge partnerships with a range of stakeholders. This involved collaborating with medical institutions, educators, and regulatory bodies to ensure a seamless integration of our solutions in the existing ecosystem.