Transcending space and time to bring families together
by DoubleMe, Harrison’s fund and Ravensbourne University
Forty years ago this week I experienced one of my first memories of holographic mixed reality it was a message to inspire action & hope set in a galaxy far, far away.
This 70s Sci-Fi moving image vision was nothing new and has been a human goal to mix dream like magical experiences with reality since the beginning of our known history. Inspired by this and our recent experiments with 5G Holoportation we set ourselves a new mission. :)
Together with Harrison’s Fund, Ravensbourne, Orbital & Squire we wanted to collaborate on a holographic mixed reality social experience for social good, which would help bring together family transcending space & time for them to be together no matter the human & realities of life circumstance.
11 year old Harrison suffers from a genetic disorder called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which results in muscle deterioration, making it increasingly difficult for him to do ordinary things that the able-bodied often take for granted — like visiting his Grandpa.
Using mixed reality (MR) technology, DoubleMe has been able to use Microsoft’s HoloLens combined with DoubleMe’s HoloPortal technology to allow Grandfather and Grandson to interact by converting 2D videos into dynamic 3D models in real-time. This allows Harrison, and others like him, to have a conversation as if they were in the same room, able to see gestures and body language that make up an important part of communication.
“Duchenne has no good news stories, it’s a one way trip downhill and with that comes the challenges of just doing normal things with Harrison. We knew there must be a way to help make family time with friends and loved ones a little easier. The meeting of cutting edge technology and family in this way is so very special.” Alex Smith, Founder of Harrison’s Fund
“When Harrison’s Fund approached us to try to find a new way to bring a family together, I thought this a really good opportunity to spotlight how the HoloPortal and holographic mixed reality can blur the traditional communication boundaries and show what was once pure science fiction, is now a present accessible reality,”comments Albert Kim, the Founder of DoubleMe.
