TIS Weekly (#114): VR For Good!
[August 14th, 2017]
In this newsletter I’d like to explore some applications for virtual reality technology. Specifically, cases in which VR is used for ‘good’. At TIS we’re often referred to as techno-optimists and I personally like it when innovation is about helping people. Think of charities bringing people closer to the heart of their operations, hospitals that use VR to train their staff more realistically and VR applied in healthcare.
Theme | VIRTUAL REALITY
VR in fundraising
Charity: Water created a 360 video which illustrates the life of a 13-year-old Ethiopian girl and her daily struggle for clean water. You’re not just watching a video or reading about a humanitarian challenge, but you are part of the experience. VR could very much be the next step in fundraising and lead to true understanding. After all, it’s called the empathy machine for a reason. A similar approach is used in The Pursuit of Happiness video by Stichting Vluchteling which shows the life of Syrian teenager Farah.
Theme | VIRTUAL REALITY
VR in training
This immersive VR experience places students of the Royal College of Surgeons in an emergency room. It simulates the stressful environment in which students have to make life or death choices for all of their patients. It prepares them to make decisions under stressful situations. Very much like how decision-making is trained in the Stanford football team.
Theme | VIRTUAL REALITY
VR in healthcare
It’s not unrealistic to think that immersive virtual reality technology, combined with full-haptic suits might some day induce PTS. As of today however, VR tech could also prove effective therapy for people suffering from PTSD. Virtually Better, Inc. has devised this VR treatment, developed for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Another example of how virtual reality experiences can help people is by Tribemix. Their video shows how VR can help calm down people suffering from dementia.
Theme | NATURE
Battling climate change
Earlier this week I came across an interesting Dutch article about green initiatives. Environmental specialist Vera Dalm listed 10 exciting changes that are likely to happen (in the Netherlands) in the coming five years:
- Diaper libraries — a pick-up and drop-off service for washable diapers.
- Bring your own coffee cup — no more free cups with your take-away coffee and discounts if you bring your own.
- Opting in for commercial mailings — preventing the mass spread of commercial mailings, by adding a YES-sticker to your mailbox if you DO want to receive commercial leaflets.
- No more paper tickets — all e-tickets don’t have to be printed anymore and can be shown on a phone.
- Tax on tiles and artificial grass — climate change leads to more rain. More natural grass would help stop the sewage from overflowing.
- Water taps in public places — no need to buy new plastic bottles, you can fill the old one up in several public places.
- Public transport card — the default lease car-option will be replace by a business transport card, giving people the choice between public transport and renting a car when truly needed.
- Streetlights as charging point — every new streetlight will double as a charging station for electric vehicles.
- No more central parking places — trying to persuade people to take a train or bike to the city center.
- Two-for-one coupons — when buying fresh products with a two-for-one deal, you get a coupon to pick up the other product next week instead of eating it all in one week, preventing rotten produce.
Add your own videos and maybe they will feature in the next TIS Weekly. Questions? Remarks? Ideas? hello@tis.tv is the address! From TIS with love, Simone de Bruin.
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Interested in more Virtual Reality newsletters?
- Games. Better In Mixed Reality?
- Exploring Augmented Reality
- VRickin’ Amazin’
- Real Or Not Real? That Is The Question
- TIS Picks — The 5 Best Videos On Virtual Reality
- More about: Virtual Reality — The History Of Virtual Reality
- What About Non-First World Countries?
