VR short films trigger happy memories for Alzheimer’s patients

UK-based, The Wayback Project aims to launch a series of VR memory films to help people living with dementia.

The Kickstarter-funded The Wayback Project has reached its GPB 35,000 target to produce a series of short films using virtual reality (VR) that could help Alzheimer’s patients remember events from their past. The videos strive to take the viewer back to a familiar time and immerse them fully for a few minutes using VR. The first video is set to transport people back to the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, a moment in history that will be prominent for many of that generation. The creators behind the project will recreate scenes from the day in exact detail, including the location, the costumes, the props and the atmosphere. The viewer will be able to fully explore the scene, overhearing conversations and music from the time.

The films will be 3-4 minutes long, free to view through any smartphone and publicly available through Youtube’s VR platform. Users will need a pair of VR Goggles, which are widely available to purchase online. The project’s ultimate aim is to create a series of VR memory films from each decade, freely available to people and families living and dealing with dementia. More investment from external partners are needed to take the project forward, who are likely to be sought after once the pilot of the film is produced.

Utilising the power of VR for medical reasons has been a popular use for the technology, with a VR Kickstarter project launched to help smokers quit and a VR experience created to provide light relief for cancer patients being just two projects coming to fruition of late. How could VR help other illnesses?