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MEMORIES CAFE VR LIVE 15 Feb 2020, Singapore - Last Saturday, a group of twenty-two Alzheimer’s patients found that their regular weekly arts and music therapy session was cancelled because of CONVID-19 precautions. Memories Cafe is a weekly activity that has been organized by the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA). The team from XR Media Lab stepped in to provide a solution, Virtual Reality 360 Live-streaming. “When we found out about ADA’s challenge, we knew we could help. The XR Media Lab @ SUSS was set up specifically to research and develop immersive technologies that can support social sciences and the community.” said Jonathan Foo, Principal Investigator of the XR Media Lab. On 15 February 2020, Memories Café VR Live was piloted and 22 families logged in from the comfort and safety of their own homes to participate in a Sing-along session. During the hour-long livestream, participants experienced a full 360-degree viewing experience. Those with better mobility were able to use Head-mounted Displays (HMD) to experience the full VR immersion, while others watched the live stream on their mobile, PC or Television screens. Whichever method, all participants where able to enjoy the session. VR 360 provides participants with a realistic environment that allows them to feel as though they are present at another location. This virtual presence encourages participants to interact with the activities. Vue Networks was the technology sponsor for Memories Cafe Live VR every Saturday morning for March 2020 until the COVID-19 Shut down on 7th April 2020. For more information about Memories Cafe and how you can help, go to ADA's website at: www.alz.org.sg. |