Home Technology VIVE wants to use Virtual Reality to change the world

VIVE wants to use Virtual Reality to change the world

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CRforchange

If there’s one thing that VR experience are very good at instilling, it’s a sense of empathy. Because of its immediacy and immersion – the feeling that you’re actually there – it’s great at letting you experience and feel things you might otherwise be unable to.

It’s in that spirit that Vive – run by HTC and Valve – are using the technology to help lead to positive change. Yes, they’re trying to change the world with VR. VR Impact is a $10 million program that is dedicated to showing how VR can lead to positive impact and change. They’ll be funnelling money to content developers to help them create experiences that “improve awareness, education, and lead to action.”

The potential for Virtual Reality to help us learn, understand, and transform the world is limitless.

“HTC is a pioneer in recognizing the work the UN has done to promote social change through virtual reality,” said Gabo Arora, Creator of the UN’s VR Initiative and Creative Advisor to the World Food Programme. “The Vive’s room-scale VR capability can be a powerful tool for immersive storytelling, education and training; their support will empower more people to effect global change, give voices to the most vulnerable and provide access to new possibilities for the most marginalized.”

“There are millions of untold stories in every crisis, especially on the front lines where much of our work takes place,” said Corinne Woods, Director of Communications for the United Nations World Food Programme, who are utilizing the latest innovations in VR.  “HTC’s support of new ways to tell important stories, and help in shaping innovation for the UN’s sustainable development agenda, will build on the impact of our work and take it in new and exciting directions.”

“The potential for Virtual Reality to help us learn, understand, and transform the world is limitless. VR for Impact is a challenge to the VR community and content developers across the globe to help drive awareness and to solve the biggest challenges of mankind,” said Cher Wang, Chairwoman and CEO, HTC. “HTC Vive will fund the best ideas using Virtual Reality that truly drive awareness and positive change in our world. We encourage all players in the VR ecosystem to join as only together can we drive real impact.”

And there’s really no better VR headset that can do that at the moment. Thanks to room scale, the Vive can do things like show the living conditions some might have to endure. One of the experiences I had with the Vive that, while not mind-blowing on its own, has definitely stuck with me. It had me stuck in one of the cells at Alcatraz – and it was horribly claustrophobic.

Using that technology to show what it’s like living in war-torn and impoverished areas? Sounds heart-breaking – but an effective way to create empathy.

Last Updated: January 20, 2017

12 Comments

  1. PurplePariah

    January 20, 2017 at 09:37

    After having sampled some vive action over the holidays I must say I’m sold. If I had the cash that is – because bloody hell is the Vive expensive. I want one, badly, but I need to sell a few kidneys to get one. Preferably not my own, obviously.

    So, any volunteers?

    Reply

  2. Ottokie

    January 20, 2017 at 09:39

    I just want it for Sword Art Online. My inner weeb calls to the VR of tomorrow!

    Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      January 20, 2017 at 09:47

      Lock me in and dont let me out till I win or die!
      Just please give me the option to skip all that romance BS.

      Reply

      • PurplePariah

        January 20, 2017 at 10:00

        Would you be in the PK guild?

        I have a sneaky suspicion.

        Reply

        • Matthew Holliday

          January 20, 2017 at 10:15

          I feel guilty playing a renegade Shepard in Mass Effect.
          Id probably spend most of my time grinding my cooking perk to max level.

          Reply

          • PurplePariah

            January 20, 2017 at 10:16

            So you’d be the bartender dude who also has a black market weapons shop?

          • Matthew Holliday

            January 20, 2017 at 10:17

            Most likely scenario, yeah, haha

  3. Kromas Ryder

    January 20, 2017 at 09:41

    I love my Vive. However the biggest issue they need to solve is heat. I play for an hour and the screen fogs up. 🙂

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief

      January 20, 2017 at 09:42

      You need to upgrade the Kromas shell with enhanced heat dissipation tech

      Reply

      • Kromas Ryder

        January 20, 2017 at 09:46

        Damn Motoko Kusinagi stole my shell upgrade!

        Reply

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