Virtual Reality Offers the Ability to 'Travel'

Companies like MyndVR and Visual are offering services to help mobility-challenged individuals improve their quality of life with virtual reality (VR) experiences, reports Next Avenue . "In the past VR user interfaces have been engineered for millennials and gamers," says MyndVR CEO Chris Brickler. "We set out to reimagine a very senior-friendly interface and content streaming platform so we can offer them this world of immersive content." MyndVR currently works with about 30 senior living operators across the United States, produces 20 percent of the VR video content themselves, and outsources the remainder to New York-based VR aggregator Littlstar; this arrangement allows MyndVR to stream fresh content every month. MyndVR will soon launch a VR program for older adults who are aging in place, with an all-in-one VR headset that could be administered by caregivers or family members. Meanwhile, Visual has performed research on the impact of VR on older adults via its WellnessVR platform. It worked with some 25 residents of a senior living community in Minnesota, guiding them through 10-minute VR sessions twice a week for five weeks; 90 percent of participants said they felt more relaxed and rated their well-being higher than previously. "We're not thinking of VR just as pure escapism, but how we can use it to benefit people's lives," says Visual CEO Chuck Olsen.