Spotlight on Technology: Virtual Reality

At Synappz we continue to stay abreast of new technology, including Virtual Reality. My intrinsic personal motivation to stay informed and to continue to feed my ‘inner geek’ led me to attend several Virtual Reality meetups over the past few months. I wanted to find out how far the sector had progressed and to uncover which possibilities this technology could bring to healthcare? That last point in particular is of interest. During one of these meetups, the startup CaptainVR, winner of the Samsung VR Challenge 2016, demonstrated the opportunities for using Virtual Reality for fear therapy. Scientific research has shown that Virtual Reality is a particularly effective tool for that kind of therapy.

To exemplify, the SONOVR Company shared the positive results obtained through exposure therapy for American soldiers suffering from PTSS; the results were 40% better than those obtained through the usual forms of therapy.

The mobile aspect is paramount when it comes to these Virtual Reality experiences. The Google Cardboard or other VR glasses, into which a smartphone is mounted, are by far the most common examples. But the development of the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Microsoft HoloLens are poised to greatly enrich the experience of Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality; these tools are now all available in the consumer market. This is something we will be keeping our eye on….

Want to know more? Please contact me via Jessica@synappz.nl.