Schlagwort: vr for impact

  • Protecting Gorillas Through the Power of VR

    Protecting Gorillas Through the Power of VR

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    The Ellen Fund Presents: Gorillas in VR is a beautifully ambient experience with spatial audio allowing people to spend a few intimate moments with wild critically-endangered mountain gorillas in the volcanic jungles of northern Rwanda.

    Produced by award-winning immersive studio Habitat XR, the experience was a collaboration between famed talk show host and comedienne, Ellen DeGeneres’ Ellen Fund, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Rwandan Development Board.

    We chat with Habitat XR Founder & CEO, Ulrico Grech-Cumbo, to learn more about why this experience was created:

    HOW DID A SOUTH AFRICAN XR STUDIO LAND UP WORKING WITH A HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY’S CONSERVATION NON-PROFIT?

    I’d spent about a year trying to convince the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund to bring us in to produce a premium 360 film about their amazing work with mountain gorillas. Many will know Dian Fossey’s work through the famous film, Gorillas in the Mist. Largely due to their efforts, the population of gorillas in the Virunga region generally is healthier than for many decades. But the budget was hard to find.

    One day, just as I started thinking about giving up on the idea, I got a call from Tara, the President of Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund: “Our partners at the Ellen Fund are putting together a fundraiser in Los Angeles and they want a VR experience for it. We’re recommending you guys!” The Rwandan Development Board came on as a crucial partner, granting us extended access to the park and gorillas, and the rest is history!

    WHAT WAS IT LIKE FILMING GORILLAS?

    Kind of indescribable, really. We got to spend time with gorillas that only researchers ever get to see. The way it worked was, we followed trackers who got a few hours head start on us to try to locate a group, known as “the Pablo group”. We rendezvous with them, but before we get within visibility of the gorillas, the guides proceed to teach us how to speak gorilla – seriously! We are taught how to create low guttural rumbling noises to indicate that we come in peace. We “ask permission” to approach the group by making the noises and are told to wait for a response from the gorillas – which, astonishingly, we appear to receive!

    We move in slowly through the thick vegetation, and as I look up, there is a blackback (juvenile) calmly looking right at me. Making eye contact with a gorilla is like hearing a lion roar for the first time – something primal rushes through your whole body and this crazy connection is fostered. Having never seen gorillas in person before, it was easy to mistake them as animatronic puppets. They seem too otherworldly to be real somehow; yet, at the same time, so eerily familiar to us.

    HOW DID THEY REACT TO YOUR CAMERAS?

    We have filmed a LOT of wildlife in 360, and have learned there are usually two types of animals: those that avoid our rig as if it were an alien; and those that are callous and knock the cameras down or even steal it (as lions have often done!). We weren’t sure what we’d get with gorillas. But we learned that they sit somewhere in between these two stereotypes; they are very curious about the camera but incredibly gentle for such powerful animals. They would saunter up to the cameras, pretend to not be interested. Then give in to their curiosity and inspect them, touching softly and smelling their fingers. 

    WHAT WAS THE ENVIRONMENT LIKE? ANY CRAZY SHOOT STORIES?

    It was nothing short of hostile. Firstly, most of the near-impenetrable vegetation is peppered with stinging nettle. Jumanji edition stinging nettle. The stuff pierces through leather and canvas. And there are no nice tourist paths – you have to hack your way through with pangas. The hills of the volcanoes are crazy steep, and the ground was pure mud making progress exceptionally slow and embarrassing. You’re hiking at 12,000 or 13,000 ft up so you feel extra unfit just hiking, and we’re trying to haul gear up (thank goodness for help from porters!). And on top of it all, the weather was typical for a rainforest: one minute it’s searing hot and we’re shedding all but the most essential clothing, the next, we’re being pelted by marble-sized hail, followed by torrential rain so cold that even under 3 layers of clothing and raincoats we couldn’t help shivering and lost all feeling of toes. That was day 1, and we had 2 more days of this to go.

     

    FAST FORWARD TO THE EDIT – HOW DID IT COME TOGETHER?

     We didn’t have much time before the fundraiser so we went straight into post-production. Fortunately, there was no script or narration required so we could spend our time trying to get complex 3D stitching done, as well as spatial audio.

    DID YOU GET TO GO TO THE FUNDRAISER WITH THE PIECE?

    Initially, the plan was that we’d just film & produce the experience; a team with VR headsets in Los Angeles was going to handle the screening there. I casually threw in the fact that we had 50 headsets we’d be willing to donate if they covered our travel costs to Los Angeles. About 5 days before the event, I got a call from Casey, the head of the Ellen Fund, taking us up on the offer – such an awesome moment.

    ANY CELEBRITIES WATCH THE EXPERIENCE?

    The screening was manic – aside from Ellen and her wife Portia DeRossi, I personally saw watching included Leonardo di Caprio, Julia Roberts, Kris & Kendall Jenner, James Corden and Sofia Vergara!

    LET’S TALK IMPACT THOUGH. WHAT HAS THE EXPERIENCE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE?

     

    Excellent question, impact is why we do what we do. For one, that night, the Ellen Fund raised over $5 million for gorilla conservation. While the VR experience alone wasn’t the only reason, one of the wealthy donors came up to me at the end of the night and said “I strongly believe that figure had a lot to do with the VR experience, so I wanted to tell you that”. We know from previous fundraising work with the likes of Conservation International and WWF that context builds empathy; feeling like you’d spent 5 minutes alone with gorillas in the wild helped each one of those people truly understand what it is that Ellen is fighting so hard to protect.

    A few months later, Covid19 hit and we decided with The Ellen Fund & Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund that we’d release the experience to the public across all major VR platforms. In the first 5 days after launching it, the same number of people had experienced being in the company of Rwandan mountain gorillas as would have taken 234 days in real life based on ecological tourist limitations in the park. And it’s likely that these few thousand people may never even get to see the real thing given that permits cost $1,500 per person. We believe it helps take all those people a big step forward in appreciating nature and its reliance on us as a species to help other species thrive.

    You can watch the experience yourself on Viveport Video today.

    Website: LINK

  • VR For Impact: Accused #2 Walter Sisulu

    VR For Impact: Accused #2 Walter Sisulu

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries?list=PL1JC6N9u4ERhTB72N0hXAEXua0sEBCPU_&w=730&h=411]

    Below, the creative team from La Générale de Production talks about the making of this powerful experience…

    What was the inspiration for tackling this subject in such a way?

    Jeremy Pouilloux: There are no images of the trial. At the time, the trial was carefully recorded on Dictabelts, a now-obsolete audio recording format. In 2012, NARSSA approached the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and the French National Audiovisual Institute (INA) to start a process of digitization and restoration of the entire Rivonia Trial sound archive.

    Nicolas Champeaux had the chance to have access to this work and when he came to la Générale de Production, we were convinced that we should try to immerse the audience deeply in the sounds of the trial, and to create a proximity with those great historical figures.

    People always remember this trial as the Mandela Trial and we wanted to bring the other accused into light. We quickly decided to highlight Walter Sisulu, without whom Mandela always said he wouldn’t do anything.

    Oerd’s art imposed itself as obvious as we thought that his style and universe would match with the original sounds, and with the atmosphere we wanted for the film.

    Talk about the research and design process of crafting Accused #2 – seamlessly marrying 2D illustrations and animation in an immersive 3D space is no easy task. 

    Jeremy Pouilloux: At la Générale de Production, we believe creating for 3D space can be explored in many ways. And sometimes, 3D animation can seem a bit too “clean”, too “childish”. For Accused#2, we wanted to keep the charcoal touch of Oerd art direction. But such things said, It was quite a hard job to keep the artistic approach while working in a 3D environment and with a real-time engine. It has been made possible thanks to work of Novelab, a French development studio we have been working with. We worked hand-in-hand to reach the quality level we wanted and design an optimized immersive experience for the audience.

    Many know this story due to famed activist Nelson Mandela being among those on trial – but Accused #2 focuses on the oft-omitted Walter Sisulu, Mandela’s mentor. What about his story did you feel made it important to shed light on as part of the greater narrative of this pivotal moment in history?

    Jeremy Pouilloux: The complete name of the trial is “The State against Mandela and the others”. People usually know about Mandela but rarely about “the others”, especially outside South Africa. It seemed essential to us to give back their place to the members of the collective, starting with accused number 2, Walter Sisulu. Sisulu was the grey eminence of the ANC. He knew the history of the movement by heart and was very close to the inhabitants of the townships. Mandela was put forward by the collective and by Sisulu himself because he was brilliant, formidable speaker and one of the few blacks to have become a lawyer. Sisulu had only his certificate of study. But the ANC was really a collective movement and it is in the name of the collective that they choose Mandela so that a man can incarnate their struggle in the eyes of the whole world. Nevertheless, Mandela said he wouldn’t make any decision without consulting Sisulu.

    Were there any unique challenges you encountered during the development of Accused #2? Bringing hundreds of hours of audio recordings from half a century ago and making them feel immersive and powerful in a 3D space must have been difficult. 

    Jeremy Pouilloux: Yes, the audio part was a big challenge. The audio recordings have been recorded on vinyl material and have this very specific and authentic-sounding textures. But in 3D space, you need to be able to spatialize the sounds and to do so, it is always easier to work on very clean material. To keep the authenticity of the voices and spatialize the sounds, we worked with the research division of Radio France (French national radio) to create the most immersive sound environment possible. 

    Accused #2 has received multiple accolades as a result of being shown at art and film festivals, including Tribeca and New Media Film Festival. What has been the feedback when showing viewers this experience in that setting? Have you been surprised by viewers’ response?

    Jeremy Pouilloux: Globally, people appreciate the film very much. We received tremendous positive feedback during festivals, and when we have been invited to speak about the project during these events, it was always a great pleasure to share this adventure with the audience. But what has been the most emotional moment for us was without a doubt was when we came to South Africa showing the film for the first time, and realizing how important it could be for them to hear this moment of their own history. It was a real reward to see young audiences realizing how much those great figures had fought for equality and justice.

    What are your thoughts on how the role of emerging technology like XR play in the future of art and education? What would you like to see from the tech going forward in order to further empower you and your team to reach new people and expand their hearts/minds? 

    Jeremy Pouilloux: For us, this emerging technology is part of a great history of immersion, from the very first storytellers or drawers to our times. At each step, the audience is moved in new ways made possible by new innovations. Nowadays, we are not moved by movies (even in theaters) in the same way as we could be in the earlier ages of film. AR and VR are contemporary ways to break the so called “4th wall” and emphasis the emotions of the audience and bring them closer to the different themes and issues.

    How long did Accused #2 take to develop, and how many people helped bring it to life? 

    Jeremy Pouilloux: It took us two years to develop the project from the idea to the distribution. The production process brought us to work with various professionals and companies. We had a core team around Nicolas Champeaux and Gilles Porte as directors, Oerd the drawer and artistic director, Michael Bolufer the artistic and tech director and Aurélien Godderis-Chouzenoux the music composer. We also had the chance to work with the digital department at ARTE, Marianne Levy-Leblond and Heideline Blumers, the research team at Radio France, especially Hervé Déjardin and Fabien Mezzafonte, and the team at Novelab studio, Grégoire Parain and Clément Chériot.

    What ultimately do you want viewers to take away from this powerful experience?

    Jeremy Pouilloux: I hope that they take away some kind of empathy with Walter Sisulu’s fight for freedom and emancipation, but I also hope it can help people today to remain vigilant about injustice, and empower them to resist any form of abuse. 

    What is next for your team – are you considering further explorations in the realm of VR art/documentary experiences? 

    Jeremy Pouilloux: We definitely have a few VR documentaries in development, and hope we will soon be able to share these different works with the audience. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to follow our work on the social networks.

    Website: LINK

  • HTC VIVE and New Reality Launch “Tree” on VIVEPORT to Fight Deforestation and Climate Change

    HTC VIVE and New Reality Launch “Tree” on VIVEPORT to Fight Deforestation and Climate Change

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Global Leaders Experience the “VR for Impact” Title at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland

    HTC VIVE’s “VR for Impact” initiative and New Reality Company today announced that the critically acclaimed virtual reality experience, Tree, is set to launch on Viveport on January 24th. The immersive VR project is currently being showcased at World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos this week to the leaders of global society on the HTC VIVE PRO with the VIVE Wireless Adapter. In addition, Viveport has pledged to donate funds for the first 1,000 purchases of Tree to the Rainforest Alliance to support its vital work to conserve the world’s most critically threatened tropical rainforests.  

    In Tree, users experience the Amazon from the point of view of a kapok tree. Viewers grow from a seedling to a mature tree soaring above the canopy line, their arms and body morphing into branches and trunk. The experience brings to light the harrowing realities of tropical deforestation, which is driven primarily by agricultural expansion and of generates more carbon emissions than the sum total of all the cars and trucks in the world. Tree was one of the first grant recipients of “VR for Impact” and has earned critical acclaim at prestigious events such as Sundance Film Festival. Starting January 24th, the first 1,000 VIVE and Oculus Rift owners who download Tree on VIVEPORT for $4.99 will be supporting proven strategies to conserve forests—the most effective climate technology known to humankind. Tree is also available to download via Viveport Subscription, members can now choose the title as one of their five monthly picks.

    “The magic with virtual reality is that it has the power create empathy and awareness around humankind’s most pressing problems in new immersive ways,” said Rikard Steiber, President of Viveport. “New Reality’s Tree is a moving and illuminating experience that serves as an example of how we can use the immersive nature of virtual reality to shine a light on critical issues.”

    Tree

    “Virtual reality’s greatest capability is to tell powerful stories,” said Milica Zec, co-founder of New Reality. “Tree has been able to connect with viewers in an intimate way that has made climate change personal to them. We can’t wait for people at home to finally be able to experience this project for the first time,” said Winslow Porter, co-founder of New Reality.

    Originally launched by HTC VIVE at WEF in 2017, “VR for Impact” is an initiative to drive VR and AR content and technologies that will create positive impact and change in support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. In 2018, HTC and WEF announced that WEF, in collaboration with a core group of VR/AR leaders and the UN, will drive the “VR for Impact” initiative going forward. As a core member of the group, HTC VIVE continues to design and create experiences as part of the collaborative, ongoing commitment to foster and champion the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality to educate and empower humanity.

    For more information on VR for Impact visit: https://vrforimpact.com/.

    Website: LINK

  • How VR can help in the fight to prevent human trafficking

    How VR can help in the fight to prevent human trafficking

    Reading Time: 11 minutes

    Much has been said about the potential for virtual reality to be an ‘empathy machine’, to grant understanding of situations and emotions that might be hard to realize in other mediums. The non-profit Prevent Human Trafficking is using 360 videos and VR to help people understand the very real problem of human trafficking today.

    We spoke to Chris Kiritz, founder of Prevent Human Trafficking, about her organization’s mission and how VR will help to accomplish it.

    Let’s start by talking about your background, your professional path and the founding of Prevent Human Trafficking.

    My professional path really began with my upbringing in South and Southeast Asia, where I was born and raised in a cult in the region. I encountered exploited children daily and it instilled a strong desire in me to prevent human suffering.

    Chris Kiritz

    Chris Kiritz of Prevent Human Trafficking

    As well as being passionate about social justice, I am a futurist and tech enthusiast. In 2000, using a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, I bought a Sony Handycam and took it to Thailand to capture and document the work of inspiring people involved in anti-trafficking and social entrepreneurship (for example Mechai Viravaidya, most well known as the ‘Condom King’ for his innovative work in family planning – more info on him here). I used that footage to spread awareness and raise funding for his lifesaving work, including revolutionizing the educational system in Thailand (check out his inspiring Foundation.) Here is one of the 360 videos we did of his work, that is now viewable in VR.

    I founded Prevent Human Trafficking in 1999 to address this heinous phenomenon. Since then, I have helped individuals, organizations and government agencies tackle the root causes of human trafficking such as lack of education and economic opportunities. My expertise has also contributed to policy and legislative change, including passage of the original Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 (here’s a PDF of the law).

    I’ve also taken hundreds of students and young professionals on annual anti-trafficking study tours to Thailand. This is part of our mission to train the next generation of anti-trafficking leaders and enables them to learn about the issues first hand from some of the pioneers of the global movement, (many of whom are our partners) who risk their lives daily on the front lines to prevent human trafficking.

    Almost 20 years after you founded the non-profit, how does technology – and specifically VR – help your mission today?

    We’ve come a long way since that Sony Handycam! I’ve always been a tech enthusiast, and I’ve ensured Prevent Human Trafficking is at the forefront of using #techforgood since our founding. Technology helps us spread our message, reach new audiences and raise new funding to prevent human trafficking and human suffering. We’ve embraced VR as the most recent and effective vehicle to deliver these powerful stories and, we hope, ultimately change part of the world.

    What brought you to using 360 video as a starting point?

    I’ve always wanted to bring people into close contact with vulnerable populations because I believe that when people make personal connections, they tend to care about and help them, and that’s key! It’s part of why I run the anti-trafficking study tours. Even in the 1990s I wished there was technology available that could somehow make this happen.

    Fast forward to 2010, and I was lucky enough to be accepted into the incredible Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) Master’s program at NYU. This was where I found my ‘tribe’ of likeminded people determined to use the magic and power of technology to create positive social change in countless ways. I was inspired by the program’s founder (and lucky me, my Thesis advisor), the legendary Red Burns to do all the things I’d been dreaming of. I went full steam ahead and developed R3 there, which has been adapted and used in Thailand to prevent human trafficking! A good friend and classmate, Jackson Snellings, told me about Samsung’s first 360 camera when it first came out. It was only available in Korea at the time but that didn’t deter me – I bought one and learned how to use it with the help of a couple of dedicated interns. The rest, as they say, is history!

    Beyond 360 video, was there a point where you became convinced VR was your path forward?

    I’ve attended the SXSW festival for a long time, and have studied people’s reactions to various storytelling mediums, trying to look at how they can be used for awareness of non-profit causes. When I first saw VR content by Chris Milk and others, such as Nothing But Nets (raising awareness of malaria) I was struck by how empowering and impactful it was, on a visceral level. I found I couldn’t “unsee” the content. It also showed common sense solutions that people like me could immediately relate to, and made me feel I could jump in to help in my own small way. What was exciting was that I could anticipate other people reacting similarly, and I have been thrilled to watch this happen with our own original 360 videos and now VR content with the help of a brilliant developer who wishes to remain anonymous.

    I was inspired to pioneer the use of this sort of content in the anti-trafficking field, and to tell the empowering, inspiring stories of the children in the care of our partner organizations in Thailand as soon as possible.

    "Setting up my fave headset to date, the magical, super portable standalone, Vive Focus Dev Kit to demo our original content at a conference this year." - Chris Kiritz. Photo credit: Zohar Rom

    “Setting up my fave headset to date, the magical, super portable standalone, Vive Focus Dev Kit to demo our original content at a conference this year.” – Chris Kiritz. Photo credit: Zohar Rom

    I am now convinced from personal experience and from demoing to more than 500 people this year alone that it VR is the best delivery platform for advocates of any issue that they care deeply about. It reaches people on a level not before experienced. It truly leaves a lasting impression that motivates people to want to get involved in being part of the solution!

    What did you hope to achieve with 360 video, and now hope to achieve using VR?

    Human trafficking is a complex problem that many people find difficult to understand or identify with on a personal level. People may have a rudimentary understanding of the problem, but they wonder, what does it mean? Why does it happen? Who are trafficking victims? How can it be prevented?

    We aim to make this impersonal issue a personal one by telling stories to educate and advocate for our mission. We exist to make the invisible visible – and unforgettable – so much so that it spurs people to action! That is the true magic of VR!

    When we manage to make this faceless problem a reality for people via 360 video or VR, we are able to effectively demonstrate how everyone can be a part of the solution, whether that means raising funds for shelters and schools, or scholarships, micro credit loans, or creating VR experiences to raise awareness of Slavery at Sea, etc. These are real solutions to real problems that can act as a deterrent, and actually keep populations at highest risk of trafficking safe, and prevent human suffering.

    Child working as a 'waste picker' in Stung Meanchey, the largest garbage dump in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

    Child working as a ‘waste picker’ in Stung Meanchey, the largest garbage dump in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

    What sort of reactions have you seen to your videos?

    We try to immerse people in the worlds of the activists and survivors we serve, by creating a sense of direct connection with the people and environment of south and southeast Asia.

    Many longtime supporters and fundraiser attendees commented that using the VR headset, the Vive Focus specifically, was the first time they really ‘got’ the issue of human trafficking on a deep, heartfelt level, after ‘meeting’ some of our partner organizations and the children they work daily to care for.

    People are consistently deeply moved – so much so that we have to be sure we have enough lens wipes to clean the headsets of tears, as the videos evoke such an emotional reaction in people who see them. Without VR or these videos, people have told us it’s unlikely they would travel to these remote areas where our partner projects are based, so they’re grateful for the opportunity to view them in VR. They often thank us for the chance to see this issue up close, as a real issue that could affect anyone’s family.

    Are there any of the 360 videos you produced that can be seen online?

    Yes, there are. First, here is a true 360 video story of a hill tribe girl saved from trafficking in Thailand by one of our partner organizations, DEPDC.

    This girl was saved from becoming a victim of human trafficking, and is now a powerful woman who is helping her community as a college educated teacher, working to ensure other hill tribe children don’t fall prey to the ploys of human traffickers in the North region of Thailand, bordering Myanmar.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcpo5RXU4RY]

    You’re now looking to create a VR experience based on Vannak Anan Prum’s book/graphic novel, The Dead Eye and the Deep Blue Sea. Can you tell us more about that?

    Yes! In tandem with getting people to care about the issues of labor trafficking in the fishing industry in Thailand and elsewhere in the world, we want to reach and teach the next generation of anti-trafficking leaders, college students of all ages, and Gen Z, too. One of our current interns, Grace Hitchens put it best when she told me after I offered the book to her to read, that Vannak Anan Prum’s story was an incredibly compelling, powerful account that he told through illustration because initially he wasn’t sure anyone would believe his story. He was held hostage and sold into slavery for a total of five years, first as a fisherman and then on a plantation. Not much is known about the men and boys who are trapped on these fishing boats in the Indian Ocean, and Prum’s account represents some of the first eyewitness testimony that exists.

    For her and other interns alike, The Dead Eye and The Deep Blue Sea exhibits the importance of art in incredibly powerful ways.

    First, the memoir records one’s truth that is shared with the world. This memoir shows an underground world that is unknown to many but affects the entire human race. The skillfully drawn illustrations illuminate some of the ugliest things a person could witness, making the story even more compelling to its readers. Second, the format of a graphic memoir serves as a way to make sense of one’s life story after living through traumatic events. Throughout Prum’s journey, art was a means to escape some of the pain he suffered and gave him individuality, something one lacks when being trafficked.

    While this story is one that can give a person a new awareness of the cruelty that is possible in the world, it also demonstrates the good humans can do as well. Prum was able to escape modern-day slavery with the help of others and share his story to bring light to the issue.

    Creating change requires listening to those who are often ignored, which Prum demonstrates through expressing the isolation and hopelessness he felt throughout his time as a slave.

    Nevertheless, Prum still implores the importance of letting go of hate. His experience could easily turn anyone towards bitterness, but instead we learn from Prum the importance of being an advocate for the most vulnerable people in our society. Being an advocate requires empathy and accurate knowledge, so viewing The Dead Eye and The Deep Blue Sea through virtual reality would accurately provide both of these necessities. This powerful story through VR could give viewers a new lens to understand a complex issue and become better advocates.

    How are you intending to adapt the book into VR?

    We are in the process of getting permission to use the original artwork from the book, as the powerful illustrations by Prum tell his story so clearly that it requires very little explanation. When/if we get permission, we will make it happen! We also have our own original interviews we have done too, that we can use to create our ‘Slavery at Sea’ VR experience in an appropriate engine. It is the right time, and the world needs to care about men and boys who are disproportionately negatively affected by the global demand for cheap seafood – including tuna, with slavery entangled in its supply chain sold by most supermarkets in the US today.

    We will share the donations from this project with Prum and his collaborators and one of our partner organizations that exists provide services for men and boys who they have rescued from labor trafficking in Southeast Asia (including much needed new shelters to accommodate more survivors).  

    On the technical side, we are deliberating about different ways we could create the Slavery at Sea VR experience. It could be a translation of the most important pages of the book into scenes.  We might use some “gamification” aspects to give the user the opportunity to choose their own experience (whether we use the book or our own interviews with real survivors from one of our partner organizations). We could also give the user alternative options not included in the book. We are exploring all kinds of ideas, and welcome them!

    How do you think you will secure funding for the project?

    Prevent Human Trafficking has a long history of utilizing in-kind donations to meet much of our funding and project needs. We also have deep connections, affiliations and ongoing relationships to many of the people and organizations in New York creative tech, including leadership and professors in ITP at NYU, Brooklyn Research, many others, including BabyCastles that use #techforgood to serve underrepresented populations in innovative ways and increase diversity in tech. We are lucky to be amongst a community of people from practitioners, to teachers, professors and developers that have a passion for harnessing the power of #techforgood and bringing this project to life – mostly in NY, but around the world as well. It was actually a class on “VR in VR” with the ever brilliant John Benton that made me certain that this Slavery at Sea VR experience was indeed a good idea and a worthwhile endeavor. His encouragement and supportiveness has meant the world to me, as he is a true VR creative genius and visionary! I also have a fantastic board of directors and advisors – including many professionals who are working with me on a pro­­­bono basis to secure corporate sponsorships for this, and other projects such as our exciting 20th anniversary celebration in 2019! It’s truly a team effort, and I couldn’t do my work without all the amazing people who truly care about our mission.

    Of course, we are always happy to receive donations directly from people who believe in the work we do. You can donate directly to Prevent Human Trafficking here.

    Thank you for talking with us, Chris, and we’re looking forward to see how VR can be further used to prevent human trafficking!

    Prevent Human Trafficking’s Mission Statement:

    Prevent Human Trafficking (PHT) is a Washington, D.C., based non-profit organization working to build a bridge between South East Asia and the United States using technology to advocate, educate and raise awareness of this issue – including using 360 video and VR.  PHT has helped build several shelters and vocational schools with partner organizations in Thailand and fund scholarships, micro-credit loans, and trained hundreds of young professionals to become the next leaders in the global anti-trafficking movement. PHT empowers individuals, organizations and governments to tackle the root causes of human trafficking through direct support and technical assistance. PHT uses its expertise and networks to promote best practice and inspire sustainable solutions in the movement to prevent human trafficking using #techforgood.

    Visit www.preventhumantrafficking.org for more information (check back soon/often for updates!) Contact us at preventhumantrafficking AT gmail DOT com

    Website: LINK

  • OrthoVR rebuilds lives in virtual reality

    OrthoVR rebuilds lives in virtual reality

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Millions of people around the world suffer amputation and disability due to war, accident, and congenital conditions. Yet relatively few of them have access to mobility aids that would allow them to walk, a freedom most people take for granted. Without prosthetic limbs, it can be incredibly difficult to participate in education, work or even social activities, especially in the developing world. Beyond the tremendous impact this has on individuals, there are economic and social costs to families and even communities.

    With the advent of low-cost 3D printing, the production of suitable prostheses is now possible almost anywhere. Organizations like Canadian non-profit Nia Technologies are helping clinics in low and middle-income countries to manufacture prosthetic and orthotic devices faster than ever before. From digital scanning through design and 3D print production, Nia is helping clinics across the developing world to serve people affected by missing limbs.

    There’s one problem: the complexity of 3D design. The solution? It might be adding virtual reality to the process.

    Traditionally, clinicians who work with prosthetic limbs are trained in manual practices, such as plaster casting, sanding and shaping of prostheses. While clinicians can see the benefits of using 3D printing to create materials, often they have difficulty in adapting to the other part of the design process: digital modeling.

    With 3D printing solutions, clinicians are no longer working with their hands – they are working with a mouse. While some can adapt, for many it’s a difficult process. They’re used to touching, shaping and examining their creations, like so many craftspeople before them. While 3D printing makes the production process faster, ironically the challenge of visual design can make the overall process slower.

    The solution could be virtual reality: making the design process truly three-dimensional, and putting creativity directly back into the hands of those creating these prostheses. This is exactly what OrthoVR aims to do.

    With the help of VR for Impact, Nia Technologies has partnered with VR startup Gradient Space, the Critical Making Lab at the University of Toronto and CBM Canada to make OrthoVR possible.

    Rather than forcing prosthetic clinicians to re-learn their skills via a mouse and flat screen, OrthoVR uses the Vive controllers and the immersion of VR itself to leverage existing skills with 3D printing. Clinicians can examine, shape and refine prostheses in a virtual space, allowing them to prototype and finalize much faster. When ready, they can then output to a 3D printer and see their work in the real world.

    Clinical trials of OrthoVR will soon begin in Tanzania, with others to follow in other developing world clinics. If these are successful, hopefully OrthoVR will be used in more locations across the world, helping people overcome their amputation or disability with prostheses.

    By combining two high-tech solutions – 3D printing and virtual reality – OrthoVR could revolutionize prosthetic production across the world.

    For more information on OrthoVR, visit the project’s website. Find out more about the VR for Impact initiative at VRforImpact.com, or visit our community forums.

    Website: LINK

  • HTC VIVE and World Economic Forum Partner For The Future Of The “VR/AR For Impact” Initiative

    HTC VIVE and World Economic Forum Partner For The Future Of The “VR/AR For Impact” Initiative

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    Today, HTC VIVE announced a partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to drive the VR/AR for Impact initiative forward, and to showcase its latest content at the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Impact Hub at the WEF 2018 in Davos.

    Originally launched by HTC at WEF in 2017, VR/AR For Impact is a more than $10 Million program to drive VR and AR content and technologies that will create positive impact and change in support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.  In collaboration with a core group of VR/AR leaders and the UN, WEF will drive the “VR/AR for Impact” initiative going forward, and as a core member of the group, HTC Vive will continue to design and create experiences as part of their collaborative, ongoing commitment to foster and champion the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality to educate and empower humanity. 

    “The challenges our world faces today have never been greater, and humanity needs a clearer understanding and guidance to help solve global issues,” said Cher Wang, Chairwoman and CEO, HTC. “Unlike any other medium, Virtual Reality is able to immerse the global audience in literally any experience, and can help us learn, empathize and transform the world. VR/AR for Impact is a unique way of driving critical awareness toward problems and solutions facing mankind.” 

    “We see so much untapped potential with VR/AR to drive positive outcomes for society in areas such as health and education, and we are looking forward to working with leaders in this space to build up this initiative in the coming years,” says Lauren Joseph, leader of the Electronics Industry Program at World Economic Forum.

               

    VR/AR for Impact experiences shown this week at WEF 2018 include:

    • OrthoVR aims to increase the availability of well-fitting prosthetics in low-income countries by using Virtual Reality and 3D rapid prototyping tools to increase the capacity of clinical staff without reducing quality. VR allows current prosthetists and orthosists to leverage their hands-on and embodied skills within a digital environment.
    • The Extraordinary Honey Bee is designed to help deepen our understanding of the honey bee’s struggle and learn what is at stake for humanity due to the dying global population of the honey bee. Told from a bee’s perspective, The Extraordinary Honey Bee harnesses VR to inspire change in the next generation of honey bee conservationists.
    • The Blank Canvas: Hacking Nature is an episodic exploration of the frontiers of bioengineering as taught by the leading researchers within the field. Using advanced scientific visualization techniques, the Blank Canvas will demystify the cellular and molecular mechanisms that are being exploited to drive substantial leaps such as gene therapy.
    • LIFE (Life-saving Instruction For Emergencies) is a new mobile and VR platform developed by the University of Oxford that enables all types of health worker to manage medical emergencies. Through the use of personalized simulation training and advanced learning analytics, the LIFE platform offers the potential to dramatically extend access to life-saving knowledge in low-income countries.
    • Tree is a critically acclaimed virtual reality experience to immerse viewers in the tragic fate that befalls a rainforest tree. The experience brings to light the harrowing realities of deforestation, one of the largest contributors to global warming.
    • For the Amazonian Yawanawa, ‘medicine’ has the power to travel you in a vision to a place you have never been. Hushuhu, the first woman shaman of the Yawanawa, uses VR like medicine to open a portal to another way of knowing. AWAVENA is a collaboration between a community and an artist, melding technology and transcendent experience so that a vision can be shared, and a story told of a people ascending from the edge of extinction.

    These experiences will be made available for all attendees at the World Economic Forum at the UN’s Sustainable Impact Hub on January 23rd, 2018 on Promenade 72, Davos Platz in Switzerland. Awavena can be experienced in the main congress hall, Portals exhibition.

    For more information on VR for Impact visit: https://vrforimpact.com/.

    Website: LINK