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This chapter will briefly introduce the molecular design, synthesis, structure and properties, characterisation method and applications of adaptive polymers. There are many smart and functional materials, and adaptive polymers are one such example. This book mainly focuses on adaptive polymers and textiles. First, some concepts will be suggested and definitions of adaptive polymers and textiles are reviewed. Following that, the characteristics, structures and potential applications of adaptive polymers will be summarised. Developing novel smart adaptive polymers and textiles are challenging, and some future trends are suggested at the end.

One of the major change drivers which emerged in the 21st century is the birth of the internet. Internet-led digitalisation has impacted almost all the sectors across the board positively and in some cases negatively. The healthcare sector is no exception to the transformation. We are witnessing dramatic changes in the healthcare sector across all its verticals due to increasing digital health innovations. The Government of India is aggressively pushing for digital health reforms in India. The inception of key healthcare digitalisation initiatives, like national digital health mission, legalisation of telemedicine, E-pharmacies and the Health ID project, indicates the government’s strong resolve towards taking forward the digitalisation transformation at a rapid pace.

All these digital health innovations led to new strata of medical consumers like Digital Medical Consumers. In this chapter, a conceptual framework of three types of medical consumers based on their buying behaviour has been postulated. In addition, digital health innovations are playing a major role in the evolution of the holistic digital health ecosystem in India. We anticipate the evolution of Holistic Digital Health Start-ups (HDHSs) because of the government’s push towards digitalisation in health and its subsequent willingness to create digital health infrastructure and the rising penetration of health informatics. Hence, this paper has proposed a conceptual framework for Holistic Digital Health Start-ups (HDHSs).

Skilled work in a VR environment requires dexterity. Dexterity is more easily achieved by embedding the virtual world in the user's natural work volume than by immersing the user in a beyond-arm's-reach virtual space. We describe a cost-effective means of achieving this, with easily calibrated hand-eye coordination; a stereo display one looks and reaches into. We discuss the hardware and software environments, the calibration required, a test for the support of dexterity, and a preliminary application in the manipulation of medical images.