• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

VRSUN

Hot Virtual Reality News

HOTTEST VR NEWS OF THE DAY

  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact Us

iOS

VTuber App Lets You Create An Avatar With Your Smartphone

August 11, 2022 From vrscout

Those in Europe can download the app for free via the Apple Store and Google Play.

CUSTOMCAST is an all-in-one mobile app that allows you to create your very own virtual entertainer, aka ‘VTuber’, using a smartphone or tablet. You can control your avatar using facial tracking and even broadcast live to audiences around the world with ease.

Developed by Dwango and S-court, the app allows you to customize premade 3D avatars using a variety of accessories, face types, hairstyles, skin colors, and clothing. You can then use your smart device’s camera to control your digital persona with facial tracking, lip sync, and various poses/expressions.

There’s also the option to customize your virtual background. If you have an iPhone with a True Depth camera you can even project your avatar over the real world via augmented reality (AR). Once you’ve finished customizing your digital persona you can connect to the Niconico Live app and begin broadcasting.

CUSTOMCAST is now available free in Europe via the Apple Store and Google Play in the following languages: English, Japanese, and Chinese (Traditional/Simplified). You can also purchase additional customizations via the in-app store or subscribe to the CUSTOMCAST official channel for exclusive perks.

In celebration of its European launch, the company has partnered with the popular visual novel series Nekopara to offer new avatar clothing based on fan-favorite characters.

We’ve talked about different types of VTuber software in the past. That said, CUSTOMCAST is one of the first to offer users an all-in-one experience that includes everything from character customization to broadcasting.

Image Credit: CUSTOM CAST Inc.

Filed Under: Android, AR, augmented reality, iOS, News, VTuber

This VR Gallery Is Comprised Entirely Of Stolen Art

July 6, 2022 From vrscout

Get up-close and personal with missing works of art from Rembrandt & Van Gogh.

In October 1969, an altarpiece by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio mysteriously vanished from the Oratory of San Lorenzoin Palermo, Sicily. In 1990, two men posing as police officers stole 13 works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, including several paintings and sketches by Rembrandt. 10 years later, the Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England was infiltrated by a lone thief who made off with Cezanne’s View of Auvers-sur-Oise.

These types of high-profile art heists have become commonplace within the art world. So much so that one company has decided to fight back against thieves using the power of modern VR technology.



First reported by FastCompany, The Stolen Art Gallery is a one-of-a-kind VR app from Brazilian tech firm Compass UOL that immersed you in a virtual art gallery comprised entirely of stolen art from world-renown artists such as Caravaggio, Cezanne, Manet, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh. The educational VR experience allows you to get closer than ever before to 5 stolen paintings from the aforementioned Masters.

Using a custom avatar, you can interact with each piece using a variety of useful tools. There’s a magnifying glass you can use to more closely inspect the art as well as a virtual tour guide there to provide additional details about each painting. Those in VR also appear to have access to several additional options, such as markers; presumably to add your own additions to each piece.

“Initially when we thought about the environment of the museum, we thought about building something similar to a typical museum: fancy building with a lot of content around the art pieces,” said Compass CEO and cofounder Alexis Rockenbach. “We ended up choosing a completely different approach, a minimalist approach, where you in this dark space where the only thing you really are paying attention to is the art piece.”

“Exploring things that help you to interact with other people on that specific element that are not able to be done in the physical world are perhaps the most interesting thing that we will see coming,” he added.

The Stolen Art Museum is available now in VR on the Meta Quest though you will need to signup for access. Don’t worry, it’s 100% free. The experience is also available in standard 2D via compatible iOS and Android devices. The app currently supports two languages: English and Português.

Fore more information visit compass.uol.

Image Credit: Compass UOL

Filed Under: Android, iOS, meta quest, meta quest 2, News, VR Art, VR Education

You Can Now Delete Your Furniture Using IKEA’s AR App

June 23, 2022 From vrscout

Create an interactive 3D replica of your personal space using the IKEA Kreativ Scene Scanner.

It was back in 2019 that IKEA first introduced the ability to preview furniture in AR using its IKEA Place app. Gone are the days of having to visit a store in-person to shop. Using a smartphone device, you can actually layer photo-realistic 3D models of existing IKEA products over the real world.

IKEA Kreativ is a new digital design tool from the Swedish home furnishings retailer that utilizes a combination of spatial computing, machine learning, and mixed reality technologies to deliver a unique mixed reality shopping experience. Not only can you position new IKEA furnishings and cycle through various alternatives, you can now delete your own furniture from the real world.

Built directly into the IKEA app, the IKEA Kreativ Scene Scanner allows you to create interactive 3D replicas of your personal space using a remote sensing method called LiDAR. After scanning the room using a compatible iOS device, you can then delete your current furniture and replace it with new IKEA furnishings, including couches, tables, and beds, each of which features accurate dimensions.

If you don’t have access to a compatible iOS device you can instead upload a series of photos to the IKEA website at which point they’re automatically assembled into an interactive 2D replica. Once processed, you’re then free to delete and replace furniture at your leisure.

In addition to the Kreativ Scene Scanner, IKEA also introduced 50 new 3D showrooms featuring IKEA products and design ideas you can sample in realistic spatial settings. Of course, each of the products featured can be purchased directly through the app for maximum convenience.

“Ingka Group is passionate about helping people create a better life at home, and we continuously look to add value to our customers’ experience, both on and offline,” said Parag Parekh, co-acting Chief Digital Officer at Ingka Group, one of several companies responsible for the scanners core technology.

“Through the innovative, intuitive technology of Geomagical Labs and simple digital experience, we believe IKEA Kreativ will break down barriers to shopping for home furnishing, empowering people to go from inspiration to reality and design their perfect home.”

The IKEA Kreativ Scene Scanner can be accessed by downloading the official IKEA iOS app or by visiting IKEA.com. According to IKEA, the experience will be available for Android users sometime in the near future. For more information visit here.

Image Credit: IKEA

Filed Under: AI, Android, AR, augmented reality, iOS, News

Snap & Vogue Launch AR Fashion Exhibit

June 21, 2022 From vrscout

You can also “try on” clothing in AR using the Snapchat app, anytime, anywhere.

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Snapchat and British Vogue are coming together to launch Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body, an incredible AR exhibition curated by Editor in Chief, British Vogue and European Editorial Director, Vogue, Edward Enninful OBE (Order of the British Empire).

The AR exhibit features high-end fashion designs brought to life using custom Snapchat filters. Textiles transform into innovative digital AR experiences that tell stories about heritage and diversity or echo a global movement.

The groundbreaking event will be hosted in Cannes, France at the Centre d’art La Malmaison. Snap and Vogue will showcase clothing designs from seven of the world’s leading fashion brands and designers; Balenciaga, Dior, Gucci, Kenneth Ize, Richard Quinn, Stella McCartney, and Versace. 

Anyone attending this event will be able to walk through an incredible custom design room and unlock the creative vision of these fashion leaders in inclusive design using powerful AR Snapchat try-on experiences. 

Each designer will work in one of six custom environments that will complement their physical fashion and using custom Snap Lenses, the designers will be able to bring their works to life in a way that is inclusive and accessible for everyone.

Here’s what you can expect from each designer (as provided by Snap):

Balenciaga: 

  • The French maison’s exhibition room is swathed in opaque darkness. Dense black curtains line the space, which houses two spotlit looks from Balenciaga’s 50th Couture Collection, and nods to the design of a historic dressing salon.
  • The pieces are part of Balenciaga’s first Couture collection since 1968, the year the maison’s founder retired.
  • Attendees can scan the room’s Snapcode to instigate different perspectives of the monochromatic environment.
  • There will also be a custom Balenciaga AR experience, with try-on Lenses available to wear the shocking-pink opera coat showcased in the exhibition. 

Dior: 

  • In the courtyard of the Centre d’Art La Malmaison, a three-metre-high statue of a model wearing the revolutionary Dior New Look of 1947 welcomes guests to Redefining the Body.
  • Standing on a five-pointed star – a symbol of divine providence that inspired the superstitious founding couturier to open his house in 1946 – she holds the iconic Lady Dior bag, an emblem of elegance for nearly three decades.
  • The Snapchat Snapcode reveals Dior petites mains skillfully hand-sewing details on this statue as she steps off her star-edged plinth, unifying time-honed craftsmanship with digital technology. 

Gucci: 

  • In its exhibition room, the Florentine house replicates the white grid and illusionistic funhouse mirror set design of the Exquisite Gucci runway show. 
  • On podiums, mannequins display looks from this masculinity-exploring collection, which imagined the suit as a sartorial prompt. 
  • Using the Snapchat Lens, Snapchatters can use their phone screen to warp its dimensions, unearthing colorful portals in a palette that reflects the atmosphere of the Exquisite Gucci show
  • Snapchatters will be able to wear Gucci’s tailoring, faux-fur coat, aviator-style sunglasses and beret, revealed in moving tessellated grids.

Kenneth Ize: 

  • Kenneth Ize – whose 2013-founded brand champions West African craft – has collaborated with Nigerian multimedia artist Jelili Atiku on an exhibition space featuring vivid reproductions of his paintings and public performance pieces. 
  • Within this exhibition room, colorful wall hangings and upholstery are created using Aso oke – a handwoven Nigerian fabric pivotal to Ize’s designs. 
  • Mannequins display vivid one-off gowns, which reflect Ize’s commitment to craft. 
  • Through the Snapchat AR experience, viewers can experience Ize’s West African story, brought to life through sound, and wear his tactile creations, which will ripple and unfurl before their eyes.

Richard Quinn: 

  • A geometric grid of florals and polka dots, the exhibition room of British designer and this year’s BFC / Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner Richard Quinn is swathed in the prints idiosyncratic of his 2016-founded brand.
  • Lenses will reveal a magical garden, where blue roses magnify through a mist, growing before your eyes and giving Snapchatters the opportunity to watch as Quinn’s opera coat and wide-brimmed balaclava appear on their bodies in an interactive swirl of sparkle. 

Stella McCartney: 

  • The 2001-founded British house’s exhibition room is transformed into a grotto of giant colorful mushrooms, where mannequins display cascading ruffled dresses from the brand’s spring/summer 2010 collection.
  • The space is rooted in Stella McCartney’s spring/summer 2022 collection and campaign theme, Fungi Are The Future Of Fashion And Our Planet, with the designer having been inspired by these incredible organisms’ potential for offering more sustainable solutions from medicine to material innovation.
  • The Big Mushroom will transform to showcase digital bees pollinating mushroom spores using Scan technology, and the try-on AR feature will unveil a headdress garlanded with mushrooms alongside a gown growing from fantastic fungi.

Versace: 

  • Gilded tiles, Baroque columns, and Versace’s Medusa capture the Italian brand’s feeling of modern opulence within its exhibition room.
  • On display are bondage-inspired pieces from the brand’s now-legendary autumn/winter 1992 collection, ‘Miss S&M’.
  • Snapchat brings the experience to life, letting Snapchatters wear buckled looks that morph into writhing snakes as the mythological Medusa is brought to life, and transforms into the viewer themself.

Along with physical fashion being used to unlock phenomenal AR experiences, the exhibition’s facade will also be digitally “wrapped” by designers using Snap’s impressive Landmarker technology, transforming the building’s exterior.

“It has always been important to me to make fashion accessible for all. Using augmented reality, Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body is an exhibition that invites everyone – regardless of race, gender, sexuality and size – to experience and enjoy fashion from some of the world’s very best designers and luxury brands,” said Enninful in an official press release, adding “It doesn’t get better than that.” 

During an SXSW 2022 panel called Future Fashion: Physical Form’s Challenge, panelist Samuel Alexander, CEO of C2C Fashion and Technology LLC, talked about how the clothing we wore was more than just a fashion statement; it reflects who we are as people.

He envisioned the day he’d be able to tell that story in a more rich and meaningful way and saw AR technology from companies like Snap Inc. as the key to unlocking that layer.

“We are thrilled to partner with Vogue to empower hundreds of millions of Snapchatters around the world to digitally experience fashion from top designers and brands,” said Evan Siegel, Co-Founder and CEO of Snap inc. “Through this exhibition, and augmented reality more broadly, we hope to introduce new levels of accessibility, creativity, and expression to the fashion and design world.” 

Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body will also see Vogue and Snapchat partnering with DressX to create a capsule collection for the exhibition. This collection will include limited-edition Vogue x Snapchat merch and will be available on the DressX site and at the exhibition for guests to “try on” in AR.

Each of the AR fashion experiences was developed in collaboration with Arcadia, Atomic Digital Design, and Snap’s newly established Paris AR Studio which is focused on empowering and educating the next generation of creators in an effort to inspire the world about the possibilities of augmented reality across art, education, and culture. You can also try on some of the outfits at home by visiting Snapchat’s Lens carousel or in the Dress Up tab in Lens Explorer.

Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body launches today. For more information, click here. 

Image Credit: Snap Inc.

Filed Under: Android, AR, augmented reality, iOS, News

Report: Apple Recruits Hollywood Directors For VR/AR Headset

June 6, 2022 From vrscout

Rumor has it the company may also be working on VR FaceTime.

According to The New York Times, Apple is enlisting the help of the Hollywood elite to help bolster its catalog of immersive content for its long-rumored VR/AR headset. This will supposedly include mysterious video content from celebrated director Jon Favreau (The Lion King, Ironman, The Mandalorian).

Citing three people close to the project, the publication claims that Favreau is developing original content for the mixed reality device based on Apple TV+’s new “documentary” series, Prehistoric Planet, for which Favreau serves as executive producer. According to sources, this mixed reality content will be available next year when Apple’s VR/AR headset launches sometime in 2023.

Credit: John Salangsang / Shutterstock

While Apple has yet to confirm or deny these reports, it’s worth noting that Favreau has a history of using immersive technology as part of his filmmaking process. Back in 2019, we talked about how the star director used VR technology to create and preview virtual environments for his 2019 remake of The Lion King. That being said, it would make sense for Apple to seek the help of Favreau in developing immersive content.

According to Mark Gurman, Bloomberg’s official Apple reporter, the company’s VR/AR headset and RealityOS platform is just the tip of the metaphorical iceberg. In addition to the long-rumored hardware, Gurman claims that the company is also working on VR integration for FaceTime, Apple Maps, and a variety of other apps.

Director Jon Favreau and his team immersed within their virtual set. / Credit: Wired

“While third-party apps are a key ingredient of this project, Apple is also planning a slew of its own apps,” says Gurman in his report. “That includes a VR version of FaceTime that can scan a person’s face to replicate their movements in a Memoji, a new VR version of Maps, and rOS variants of core Apple apps like Notes and Calendar. Also in the works is a way for the headset to extend a Mac’s display, bringing it into 3D.”

This past week rumors began circulating about the potential reveal of Apple’s combination VR/AR headset and “Reality Operating System” during the company’s annual WWDC developer conference. Unfortunately, the event came and went with no mention of VR or AR, let alone the highly-anticipated mixed reality device. That said, we did learn about a new MacBook Air as well as several exciting software updates for a variety of iOS devices.

Here’s hoping we learn more about Apple’s VR/AR device in the coming months.

Filed Under: Apple, AR, augmented reality, iOS, News

Apple Shows Off AR Trading Cards Ahead Of WWDC 2022

June 1, 2022 From vrscout

Gotta collect ’em all!

WWDC 2022 is just around the corner, much to the excitement of Apple fanatics everywhere. This year’s event is shaping up to be a big one with the company expected to make several exciting reveals. This includes a potential new Macbook Air as well as a slew of major software updates for its ever-growing lineup of iOS devices, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch.

As was the case with past WWDC conferences, Apple has released an interactive AR easter egg to hype up audiences ahead of this year’s event. Whereas last year the company released a floating AR apple containing a pristine alpine lake, this year Apple has launched a collection of AR trading cards featuring a selection of memoji characters.

In order to access this virtual booster pack, all you have to do is visit the company’s Events website on your smartphone and tap on the memoji chracter. The website will then ask you to scan your real-world environment using your smartphone’s camera before displaying a pack of virtual cards.

Tapping the digital booster pack will reveal three unique cards, each of which can be inspected individually in AR. Each time you tap on the deck you’ll unlock a handful of new cards. There are 9 cards in total. These digital collectibles can also be viewed in “Object” mode to remove the AR functionality.

WWDC 2022 kicks off virtually on Monday, June 6th at 10AM PST. Those interested can tune into the official live stream here. Rumors began circulating last week that the company may use the event to reveal its highly-anticipated VR/AR headset and realityOS platform. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst from TF International Securities, however, the device will not be making an appearance during this year’s event.

Image Credit: Apple

Filed Under: AR, augmented reality, iOS, News

Explore Tokyo Using AR Technology Powered By Apple Maps

May 26, 2022 From vrscout

Tokyo, Japan is just the latest major city to receive official support for AR walking guidance.

It was back in 2021 that Apple first introduced AR (augmented reality) navigation to its Apple Maps app, allowing iOS users to navigate their real-world environment using virtual overlays. Similar to Google Maps’ Live View, users can use their smartphone’s camera to follow a series of virtual arrows leading to their desired location without having to take their eyes off the street.

Today we learned that the company’s AR walking guidance feature has arrived in Tokyo, Japan, offering local iOS users a new way to navigate their labyrinth-like city. The news was first reported by Alta Distance, who discovered the feature yesterday after spotting the ‘Refine Location’ icon on their app.

“It’s nice that Apple is finally doing something more with their Japanese image collected data than just Look Around and AR walking guidance has to be in place for iOS 16 indoor station maps,” said Alt Distance in their report. “AR walking guidance is the perfect fit for a new kind indoor maps that navigate users through intricate, information dense underground station mazes like Shinjuku, Tokyo and Ikebukuro, the very places where Apple Image Collection backpacks are busy collecting data.“

Alto Distance has yet to try the feature in other regions, such as Osaka and Nagoya. At the time of this writing, Tokyo is the only area in Japan to have reportedly received support. In addition to Tokyo, Apple’s AR walking guidance is available in major cities such as Montréal, London, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, and Washington, DC just to name a few.

For more information on Apple Maps’ AR navigation visit here.

Image Credit: Alta Distance

Filed Under: AR, augmented reality, iOS, News

Google Wants To Deliver World-Scale AR Using Google Maps

May 18, 2022 From vrscout

Google Maps is getting a major upgrade.

During Google’s 2-hour long 2022 I/O event last week, the company made a number of exciting announcements, including the reveal of a new mid-tier phone as well as a pair of AR glasses capable of translating multiple languages in real-time. 

Google also revealed world-scale AR experiences for Google Maps that will greatly improve the Street View experience on your mobile device, changing the way you view the world while wearing a pair of Google’s AR glasses when they become available.



Through digital transformation using Google’s AR Geospatial API, Cloud Anchors, and Visual Position System (VPI), Google envisions an experience in which AR is used to help you navigate any city, town, or rural countryside across 87 countries. The technology could also be used to offer a unique and personalized immersive experience using location-based AR effects. Imagine an AR landmark that could not only change the way you see the outside world but also create amazing 3D AR effects that can be viewed inside buildings and public venues. 

What you get is an experience that uses terrain anchors, 3D building geometry, and geometric anchors that can be used to bring a landmark to life or give you directions to the closest pizza shop. A more detailed map experience that allows you to gain a closer look at building details, learn about cool underground music venues, and discover locations off the beaten path for you to chill and have a cup of coffee. 

You could also use world-scale mapping and AR to help you see different times of the day so you can pick a sunny spot for that important morning coffee.

All of this is possible through blending photorealistic 3D worlds (visualization), abstract 3D worlds (analysis), and machine-readable 3D worlds (location) together to create maps that can be used by humans, autonomous vehicles, and machines for all types of interactions, including information, directions, and entertainment. You can even use the technology as a way to leave an AR flier that can be accessed by your friends to find a secret party.

One way Google highlighted this world-scale digital transformation during I/O 2022 was through ridesharing and micromobility, where drivers and riders would have accurate information on pick-up location, helping drivers find empty parking spots in real-time in any location in any large city around the world.

Of course, this could also have a massive impact on our day-to-day lives as more cities and towns look towards digital twinning for improved energy and water infrastructure, traffic flow, and land development. It can and even impact how first-responders navigate situations and provide assistance during a large emergency situation. You can read more about Google’s world-scale AR goals on their developer’s blog.

Image Credit: Google

Filed Under: Android, AR, augmented reality, iOS, News

Snapchat Is Bringing AR To Live Nation Concerts

May 4, 2022 From vrscout

The first Live Nation concert to use Snap AR Lenses will be the Electric Daisy Carnival later this month.

Snap and Live Nation Entertainment are teaming up for a multiyear deal that will bring Snapchat AR (augmented reality) experiences to select Live Nation concerts that you can use to find your friends in the crowd, bring the stage and festival grounds to life with AR content, and of course share content on social media. 

The first Live Nation concerts to debut Snapchat’s interactive AR lenses will be on May 20-22 during the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. EDC is the largest electronic dance music (EDM) festival in North America, and this year’s Las Vegas lineup will feature popular EDM artists such as Ac Slater B2B Chris Lorenzo, Deorro, DJ Snake, Kream, Lp Giobbi, Nostalgix B2B Wenzday, and many more. 



The Electric Daisy Carnival will feature eight different stages that the artists perform on. The rest of the festival grounds are designed to immerse you into these fantastical worlds. This year organizers are bringing a ninth stage to the festival called Bionic Jungle. 

Both Snap and Live Nation envision AR becoming a normal part of any concert experience in the same way we see large video screens being used during shows, and with live music fans already bringing their smartphones with them to take photos and videos—or to use as a light to sway over our heads—why not leverage their own perspective as part of the concert experience and use AR to make the experience even more memorable?

Snapchat currently has an average of 600 million daily users, so there’s a pretty good chance that many of those EDM fans in attendance at the Electric Daisy Carnival will have a Snapchat account. 

Ben Schwerin, Snap’s senior VP of content and partnerships is counting on that. During a recent Snap Partner Summit, Schwerin said, “We can leverage this huge user base we have in a way that will make augmented reality the next phase of visual expression for artists.”

Music fans will not only be able to use AR to bring their surroundings to life, but Snap and Live Nation also plan on letting you try on concert merch using AR to see how you look in a t-shirt, hat, or sunglasses. 

This idea isn’t to keep people on their phones during the entire concert. Schwerin explains how they plan on having AR Lenses being used to strategically enhance moments of the performance. “Each video that gets shared is a really powerful promotion for people who see that to go buy tickets to a concert or festival themselves.” With Snapchat reaching 90% of people between the ages of 13 and 24 in the U.S, these AR-enabled concerts could be an excellent way to attract younger audiences.

To create their concert AR Lenses, Snap will turn to their own creative studio Arcadia to produce content for the Electric Daisy Carnival along with working with artists at future Live Nation events. This includes popular festivals such as Austin City Limits, Beyond Wonderland, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Day Trip Festiva, Leeds Festival, Lollapalooza Chicago, Lollapalooza Paris, Reading Festival, Rolling Loud, Roots Picnic, Governors Ball, Wireless Festival, and Lights On.

The idea of using AR and VR technology as part of a live concert experience is growing more popular among promoters and artists. Artists such as the Foo Fighters, 2 Chainz, Megan Thee Stallion, and Billie Eilish have either performed live in VR or launched a VR experience, and just recently Coachella launched Coachellaverse, a digital experience that allows fans from all around the world to interact with the festival in a way that uses a combination of immersive technologies.

Image Credit: Coachella

Filed Under: Android, AR, augmented reality, iOS, News

How One Hospital Is Using An AR Bear To Calm Young Patients

March 28, 2022 From vrscout

MRI scans, while safe, can prove especially traumatizing for younger patients.

Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOCK), a children’s hospital located in Orange County, California, has transformed its lovable mascot ‘Choco’ into an AR (augmented reality) experience that walks children through the steps of a standard MRI scan. The idea is that by familiarizing younger patients with the process, they’ll feel more comfortable during the actual procedure.

For those unfamiliar, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a technique used by radiologists to capture images of a person’s anatomy. MRI scans, while harmless, involve sitting in a loud metal tube and can sometimes take hours to complete. As a result, many tend to find the process uncomfortable. This is especially true for younger patients.

First spotted by The Orange County Register, MRI with Choco aims to provide a more comfortable experience for child patients by allowing them to explore a radiology lobby alongside an adorable AR bear named Choco. Voiced by a former CHOC patient, Choco provides valuable information designed to help ease the child into the process. Children are even introduced to the members of the radiology staff.

Using an iPad encased in a child-friendly cover, children explore the room to discover new AR content triggered by various real-world elements. Aim the tablet at the mural located on the ceiling, for instance, and patients can watch a virtual baby whale come to life in the real world. When it’s time to switch rooms, patients point their tablets at a seagull marker on the wall to unlock a series of digital footprints leading to the prep room. Here Choco shows off the gown they’ll wear during the test.

“We thought, ‘Let’s dream up something entirely new for our patients and families,’” said Debra Beauregard, part of CHOC’s MI3 leadership team, in an official release. “Our MRI team shared a problem they were having, and together, we came up with an innovative solution.”



“We have children that come through here who are on a lot of different types of medical journeys, and oftentimes, this can be one of the more overwhelming experiences for patients and their families,” added Ashley McGee, a child life specialist and member of the MRI with Choco team. “This app will help reduce stress and anxiety, and also help to promote positive coping skills and help normalize the environment.”

MRI with Choco is still in its pilot stage, though a public release is expected soon. The company is also working on a parent module that will answer frequently asked questions. For more information visit here.

Image Credit: CHOC

Filed Under: AR, augmented reality, iOS, News

Next Page »
Copyright © 2022 GenVR, Inc.
  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact Us