Overview
Visiting VR brings tailored virtual reality experiences to seniors in Santa Barbara. With a VR headset, participants (or ‘flyers’ as Stephen Jones, founder and CEO of Visiting VR calls them) can travel across the globe, simulate real-life experiences like skydiving, or even visit their childhood homes. Visiting VR combines virtual reality with experienced caregiving to create unforgettable experiences.
By partnering with ManageXR, Visiting VR designed a solution that simplifies the user experience and seamlessly shares curated VR content to their fleet of devices.
Intro
When Stephen first tried on a VR headset in 2021, he was amazed at how immersive it was and how it had the ability to strengthen relationships with the people around him.
Stephen’s 15 year career in caregiving means he focuses on people first and how best to bring joy to his community. “As a caregiver, I’ve always been looking for ways of making meaningful connections with people.” After his experience with virtual reality, he knew this technology could spark a “renaissance for senior living” and address the loneliness epidemic, which disproportionately affects older populations. This chronic loneliness can increase the risk of developing dementia by as much as 50% in older adults.
“Connections are where we experience life, and those connections don’t become less important as we get older. They just become more difficult to maintain.” After recognizing the power of virtual reality, Stephen was eager to work through the “inaccessibility” of some of the technology to share this experience with those who could benefit from it the most.
Initial Hurdles
One of the main challenges Stephen anticipated was how to introduce virtual reality to an older, inexperienced population. Putting a headset on is jarring enough but having to navigate controllers and an unfamiliar UI can quickly turn an experience that’s supposed to be exciting into a frustrating one.
“I was constantly iterating it, trying to find out ways of making this immersive experience available to seniors.”
Stephen explored different options to automatically display 360 videos, but they lacked the control required to curate content on a whim. “Without that kind of flexibility, it just doesn’t feel personalized.” Being able to create an entirely tailored experience was critical for creating fulfilling sessions with seniors.
How ManageXR Makes it Happen
“I come and set up everything for people…they don’t have to worry about any of it.”
Using ManageXR, Visiting VR is able to provide personalized virtual travel sessions for flyers and anyone else in the room. Itineraries can be created ahead of time while also leaving room for spontaneous adventures in real time. ManageXR enables Visiting VR to easily add new content to their fleet of VR devices, ensuring that the experiences remain fresh and engaging.
Kiosking Videos
ManageXR’s Kiosk Mode simplifies the user interface, allowing seniors to simply put on the headset and start their adventure without navigating complex menus or using controllers. Visiting VR is using Kiosk Video to lock devices into a single 360 video, saving them time and eliminating the learning curve that typically comes with VR. “It frees them of needing to do the controls and…allows them to sit back, relax, and enjoy the view without having to worry about flying the plane” says Stephen.
Remote Streaming
For Visiting VR, the focus is always on the individual. Being able to provide tailored experiences is as important as the experience itself. ManageXR’s Remote Streaming allows Stephen to see what his flyers are seeing and act as a guide during the session. “If we’re on a trip through Antarctica and that gets them thinking about their time in Greenland, I can take us to Greenland.” Changes to the device’s configuration can be made and updated quickly, allowing for a seamless transition between adventures.
With Remote Streaming, the immersive experiences can be mirrored on a television or monitor in the room, turning sessions into shared experiences with anybody in the room, like loved ones or other flyers. “I love that there’s that ability to share it because otherwise people would be [experiencing it] alone. The ability to stream and share it allows me to keep somebody feeling accompanied while they are ostensibly blindfolded in a headset.”
Final Thoughts
VisitingVR has not only transformed the way seniors engage with virtual reality but also highlighted the potential for technology to foster meaningful connections. With ManageXR, Stephen bridged the gap between complex technology and user-friendly experiences, enabling seniors to explore new horizons.
Looking ahead, VisitingVR aims to expand its reach, providing more seniors with access to these enriching virtual adventures. The ongoing work with ManageXR continues to drive innovation and improve the quality of service offered by Visiting VR.
Get started with ManageXR today!