Dementia is a serious ailment, and one that we currently don’t have a cure for. One way Alzheimer Australia Vic intends to help those suffering from the ailment is with a virtual living world created in the Unreal Engine, that they’re hoping people will help fund.
Dubbed The Forest Project, the project’s goal is to simulate a lifelike version of a forest for dementia patients to be able to interact with. They’ll do this on a nice and large 10 meter by 2 meter, motion-sensitive kinetic wall with gesture-sensors and other interactive means—which has already been built.
Funding, then, is to make the project’s forest get better, such as through dynamic shifting of the seasons and other soothing but mentally stimulating situations for dementia patients to experience. They’re also hoping to make it accessible to aged care homes worldwide after getting it into every aged care facility in Australia.
If you’re wondering if the developers, Opaque Multimedia, can make this work, you should check out their first run through the Virtual Dementia Experience. It too was created using the Unreal Engine and is already emplaced at the Alzheimer Australia Vic Perc Walkley Dementia learning center. Future parts of The Forest Project will, if successful, see it expand the types of environments for patients to interact with in a safe space.
The Forest Project can be funded over at Pozible.
Published: Mar 23, 2014 02:00 pm