Polio's Last Mile is using VR to spread awareness and champion the global fight against Polio. A few decades ago, the world was grappling with a major health crisis. Polio, a viral disease, was rife and resulted in the paralysis of hundreds of thousands of children around the world each year. In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched to fight the disease. At that time, polio was present in more than 125 countries and was responsible for paralyzing around 1,000 children every day. However, the tide turned with implementation of widespread immunization efforts, reaching nearly 3 billion children. This led to a staggering 99% decrease of polio cases, according to the Gates Foundation. The virus is now confined to a few regions in Pakistan and Afghanistan. As of 2020, the entire African region became the fifth region to be certified free of wild poliovirus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It’s important to acknowledge the pivotal role of community health workers around the world, who are predominantly women, in this fight. Their diverse and multifaceted roles have been instrumental in safeguarding children from polio, contributing significantly to the progress in eradicating the disease. The world is now on the cusp of eradicating the disease entirely, thanks to the power of immunization. Despite this progress, failing to stop wild polio transmission in Pakistan and Afghanistan could trigger a global resurgence of the disease. If this happens, we could see up to 200,000 new cases of polio each year within the next decade, according to a WHO report titled "Polio Eradication Strategy 2022–2026". You may be wondering what’s stopping us from passing the finishing line and eradicating polio globally for good? Conflicts, misinformation and opposition to vaccines stand in the way. The COVID-19 pandemic also added to the challenge, as polio vaccination efforts were halted, causing millions of children to miss routine vaccinations. However, there is still hope for a polio-free world. On April 28, 2024, Saudi Arabia pledged $500 million over five years to support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s (GPEI) efforts to vaccinate 370 million children against polio and strengthen health systems. This announcement marks a significant increase in funding for the global effort to eradicate polio. The global fight to eradicate polio may seem distant and abstract. However, with the use of virtual reality (VR) technology, this distance can be bridged. Polio's Last Mile, a VR experience developed by REM5 Studios with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is not just an immersive experience. It's a powerful tool that aims to educate, engage, and most importantly, inspire its users to join the fight against polio. It offers a unique opportunity to step into the shoes of community workers fighting polio in Zambia, providing life-saving polio shots to children all across the country. Amir Berenjian, the co-founder and CEO of REM5 Studios and Brian Skalak, Director at REM5 Studios, spoke to Global Citizen about their latest project, an immersive and interactive experience that takes users on an emotional journey to a polio vaccination campaign in Zambia. Berenjian and his team have been in the immersive technology space for almost a decade, always focused on leveraging technology for social good and elevating learning and development. What is the inspiration behind Polio’s Last Mile?Berenjian: Our goal is to make the tech fade away into the background and let the user focus on the story, content, purpose, and call to action. The primary goal of the project is to build advocacy and support for the mission of polio eradication and emotionally connect people to the mission, whether it's volunteers, people, rotary members, or a Ministry of Finance. What’s the potential for VR technology in the global health sector?Skalak: When we attended the World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, we were able to demo the Polio’s Last Mile VR experience to representatives from a various of organizations present, such as UNICEF, Rotary, and Gavi. We were thrilled that during the showcase, many attendees asked the question: "What else could we do with something like this?" Polio’s Last Mile is just the first chapter of a series of immersive experiences that we would love to produce.
One of the compelling cases for the next project using VR technology could be to show how malaria is similar in struggle and yet different in approach [to polio]. The immersive experience would allow people to put on a headset and learn about the issues. This could be tailored to different audiences. We hope to build a larger experience that will have great content that levels up to a lot of similar shared goals across organizations all over the planet. Berenjian: VR is a more natural and accessible piece of technology than any of its predecessors. While it may seem intimidating on the surface, putting on a VR headset and transporting oneself to a location like Zambia is an experience that anybody can have, regardless of their tech expertise. Traditional methods of communication like YouTube videos or TikTok clips can only hold people's attention for a short period of time, whereas VR can immerse users in an environment and hold their undivided attention for 10 minutes or more. By seeing and feeling the effort that goes into vaccinating millions of children, users can develop a deeper appreciation for the cause and be more likely to take action to support the fight against polio. How did you develop the experience?Shalak: In October 2023, we used a 360 degrees camera to document the polio campaign in Zambia. We filmed at various locations, including just outside the city center of Zambia's capital city Lusaka. The footage gives viewers a fly-on-the-wall perspective of vaccination efforts and highlights the vital role of community workers in the fight against polio. Despite challenges like overheating cameras and large file sizes, the team overcame technical difficulties and walked for hours in the scorching Zambian heat to create a stunning VR experience. Berenjian: Being in an environment where volunteers walk 10 miles a day going door to door to vaccinate children put things into perspective and was part of the beauty of the mission. Why is it important to spotlight community health workers? Skalak: Meeting the field teams on the ground was the most profound part of the entire trip. There were tens of thousands of teams like those they met, doing the same work across the country. These teams were mostly volunteers who wanted to keep their communities safe from polio to ensure a prosperous future. Berenjian: The tone of the experience was designed to celebrate the individuals who are relentlessly fighting on the ground to eradicate polio, rather than having a somber tone. We wanted to highlight the hard work and dedication of these individuals and celebrate their achievements. What’s next for the team? Skalak: We plan to showcase the project at Rotary International in Singapore and continue working with the Gates Foundation and other partners to create more immersive experiences. We’re democratizing the experience and have 900 8th graders visiting our physical location in Minneapolis to experience the VR unit. We're also launching an online immersive museum to make the experience more accessible. Learn more about the experience by visiting the website. To experience the VR, you can either use the non-VR headset alternative option or download Polio’s Last Mile app via Meta if you have your own Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest Pro headset. We tried Polio’s Last Mile VR experience. This is what it was like. It was my first time using a virtual reality headset and it was a significant improvement from previous virtual experiences like 3D glasses at the cinema. The VR headset was comfortable over my glasses and provided an interactive, educational, and visually stunning experience through 360-degree video and augmented reality. I gained insight into the global progress in eradicating polio, witnessing firsthand the impactful work of community workers and volunteers administering life-saving polio shots to children in a local community in Zambia's capital Lusaka. This experience provided an emotional connection, spotlighting those on the frontlines of the global fight to eradicate polio. Original article by Global Citizen: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/polio-last-mile-virtual-reality-experience/
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In collaboration with the Minnesota United, REM5 STUDIOS has produced an all-access VR experience that will premiere exclusively at this year's Minnesota State Fair that runs August 28th - September 4th. This all ages experience puts you on the field and behind the scenes at Allianz field for a Minnesota United game day experience. Fans of all levels and those new to the sport will have an amazing time taking in the sights and sounds of what its like to be a part of the action. Through 360 video technology, you'll be able to look all around you in a VR headset as you go into the locker room, sit field side, and explore the supporter's section to take in the full experience. You're in control! This new collaboration between the United and REM5 will find new and exciting ways to bring immersive technologies to the fan experience in and out of stadium. We're excited to bring a new experience to the state fair that will allow for thousands of fans and soon-to-be fans to see what all the hype is about. This FREE VR experience will run every day of the fair at the Loon's showcase at fan central. Simply show up and wait for your turn to go behind the scenes. See you there!
Grab state fair tickets here. Human-computer interaction will be a huge component of the future, but REM5 STUDIOS is trying to bring technology to the masses right now.
There's a new way to check out sweet spots in St. Louis Park and Golden Valley called the Immersive Virtual Getaway Experience, Trish Foster and Amir Berenjian explain.
Destination marketing organization Discover St. Louis Park aims to drive visitors to Minneapolis suburbs St. Louis Park and Golden Valley through an augmented reality campaign highlighting local attractions. This AR campaign features artwork by St. Louis Park artist Adam Turman and was created by immersive experience agency REM5 Studios. It will let residents and visitors to the St. Louis Park and Golden Valley areas scan a QR code on posters, postcards and kiosks to access an augmented reality lens within the Instagram mobile application. Trish Foster, marketing director of Discover St. Louis Park, told Adweek, “We wanted to create an eye-catching, immersive digital experience that would allow would-be travelers to explore our cities and make them want to visit those places in real life. REM5 Studios took the colorful artwork of resident artist Adam Turman and created an augmented reality Virtual Getaway that does just that. We are always looking for new ways to attract visitors, and we think this is the next evolution in destination marketing.” As part of this campaign, postcards were sent to residents, businesses and meeting and event planners in the St. Louis Park and Golden Valley suburbs, while kiosks have been installed at local hotels and other destinations. The campaign artwork will also be featured in a variety of print publications. Once someone scans the QR code, the lens will appear in the Instagram app, and they’ll be able to tap on prompts to learn about different destinations in the area, such as the St. Louis Park Rec Center and Westwood Hills Nature Center.
After someone completes the experience, they’ll receive a code they can enter on the Discover St. Louis Park website to receive special offers at nearby businesses. People can also decipher hidden clues within the experience to unlock a second code they can email to the marketing organization for a chance to win a prize. People don’t need to travel to Minnesota to access this AR experience. They can click a link on the Discover St. Louis Park website to download a version of the poster they can print and use to experience the campaign wherever they are. Read original article on AdWeek: 12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Fbrand-marketing%2Fdiscover-st-louis-park-uses-ar-to-encourage-exploration-of-minneapolis-suburbs%2F
MINNEAPOLIS — Standing in front of her paintings, dressed in a bespoke suit made of a material featuring her same artwork, Sarah Edwards appears to have made an unapologetic entrance into the public art world. However, she says she's feeling quite vulnerable.
And though only she and I stood in the gallery room at the Chambers Hotel, Edwards said, "It feels like I'm standing naked in front of a big room of people." As CEO of Fashion Week MN and marketing agency Some Great People, Edwards has spent her professional career connecting community members and putting the spotlight on other artists. But Saturday, Feb. 4 at Sonder, an interactive art experience at the Chambers Hotel, she's finally going to share her own creations. "[I'm] anxious, for sure," Edwards said. "Impostor syndrome." However, Edwards says she's grateful to be able to do it alongside roughly 20 other artists who will be occupying rooms and hallways at the Chambers Hotel. Each room will feature a different local maker. In one room, you'll see couture fashion courtesy of local designer Keiona Cook. In another, you can create AI-generated fashion, with the help of REM5 Studios CEO Amir Berenjian. "When people come here on Saturday, they'll be able to--through text--input their wildest dreams which will be a one-of-one shirt, pants, or shoes and we'll be showcasing it up on the big screen," Berenjian said.
Berenjian said he's looking forward to showcasing his studio's work alongside so many other creatives
"We all feed off each other's energy and are all inspired by each other," Berenjian said. Producers of Sonder also say you can expect to be greeted by a hip-hop violinist when you enter and ballet dancers will serve you cocktails. It's all part of the experience Edwards hopes to be, in her words, "weird." "Maybe there's that outfit you've never been able to wear," Edwards said. "One person said to me, 'It's going to be like Burning Man meets the Met Gala.' And I'm like, 'OK!'" Talking about the creative community together is when Edwards truly lights up. It's why she named the event after a poetic, albeit fictional, definition of "sonder." For background, this particular definition comes from what started as a web glossary of made-up definitions author John Koenig penned to articulate "strangely powerful emotions," which was eventually published into the 2021 New York Time's Best Selling "Dictonary of Obscure Sorrows." In it this "Dictonary,", you'll find: "Sonder: The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own." Edwards is admittedly obsessed with that notion and hopes the vivid and complex spirits that make up artists and their neighbors can join together to create a beautiful experience. "My favorite part of all of it is the connections that are made," Edwards said. "Build relationships, figure out ways that you can partner, celebrate, uplift all the awesome artists that are a part of this." https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/kare11-sunrise/sonder-sarah-edwards-chambers-hotel-minneapolis/89-a444cf0d-3e47-4123-a6bf-34eefc36a050 After its first public demo of live text-to-image generation in late December, the immersive web platform SIMULACRA announced two more AI tools to the experience. You can now explore real-time text-to-architecture and text-to-fashion opening up exponential possibilities for creation within the social 3D web platform. These tools are a glimpse into the future of content creation for both virtual worlds and physical/digital products. Text-to-architecture: This feature allows creators to seamlessly update the walls, flooring, and artwork within the virtual apartment layout, real-time. Through the power of AI, the user can swap out hardwood floors for carpet, a ball pit, or even moon rocks. This feature removes the pain point of making wholesale changes through complex 3D modeling software and allows for infinite creativity from anyone with or without 3D art experience. Text-to-fashion: The future of self expression is increasingly transitioning to digital. With this new AI feature, user creativity is completely unlocked by allowing complete one of one avatar customization. This system is not only the future of how users can represent themselves in SIMULACRA, this is the future of how brands will empower their communities to create and customize their products in both the physical and virtual world. As a platform focused on storytelling and education, SIMULACRA is leveraging these AI tools to accelerate content creation for brands, educators, and creatives so they can create rich and meaningful digital experiences for their communities.
"We believe that AI is a key component in the democratization of content creation for the next-generation of digital experiences," said Amir Berenjian, CEO of REM5 STUDIOS. "We’re excited to see what our partners build that goes far beyond gaming". To demonstrate this capability, SIMULACRA is making an easy-to-use demo publicly available, and accessible to anyone with a PC or mac in a Chrome web browser. No downloads are required. The demo is multi-user so feel free to experience it with others. Try it here right now: https://www.simulacra.io/AI For private tours, or to meet up with the SIMULACRA team, please email brian@rem5vr.com. A look back at internet trends and a look forward at the potentially far-reaching new applications of the technology.
Imagine a meeting with a group of 20 colleagues to plan the opening of a new retail store. You’re staring at a checkered screen of faces on a video call; images of 2D rendering of a 3D space. There is no spatial awareness, eye contact, or body language. Now, imagine that meeting taking place in a virtual reality environment. You are embodying a 3D avatar with accurately represented facial expressions and body movement and can communicate through spatial audio within a digital twin of the new store. Now, you’re back in the physical world, walking down the street in a bustling city, stuck staring down at your smartphone for directions and a recommendation on a place to stop for dinner. But instead, you now have access to that same information as a digital overlay on the physical world right from your glasses or contacts. The Metaverse = The Spatial Internet Welcome to the metaverse. The internet with a sense of presence. At its core, the concept of the metaverse is a 3D interface or digital layer that allows us to access information and interact or communicate with others in a more natural and frictionless engagement. The metaverse isn't a singular medium; it's a seamless combination of immersive technologies including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). If you’re a surgeon on the operating table with a patient, you may want an augmented reality display that provides you with real-time information and instructions. But if you’re still in medical school, a virtual reality simulation in which you can learn through repetition, get hands-on training from a teacher anywhere on the planet, fail safely, and benefit from a real-time data feedback loop is likely preferable. The potential is here—augmented reality to seamlessly interact with information and virtual reality to help democratize experiences. The Business of the Metaverse A simple mention of the “M” word can generate a wide range of opinions ranging from excitement to skepticism to confusion. Is it marketing hype driven by greed and capitalism? Or does it represent the next evolution of how humans leverage technology? Adding fuel to the conversation, institutions including McKinsey & Company and Citi Group have projected the metaverse to generate $5 to $13 trillion in value by 2030. These projections are supported by the fact that spatial and social platforms such as Roblox and Minecraft are already experiencing over 200 million monthly active users and billions of dollars of e-commerce with seemingly no end to the growth in sight. Judging from conversations with parents of younger kids, Generations Z and Alpha are skipping over legacy social media and going straight to the spatial web accessed on both PC and mobile devices, and the transition to head mounted displays is on the horizon. Humans + Computers: 1980s to Today To contemplate the idea that is the metaverse, it’s important to contextualize past paradigm shifts as it relates to our relationship with technology and its role in our daily lives. The first significant wave in mainstream computing occurred in the 1980s as the computer moved into the home. Throughout the 90s, businesses and consumers quickly found value in the internet through access to massive amounts of information and basic communication. Then came the dot com bubble of late 2000 and, for a while, headlines seemed to label the internet as a potential passing fad. Jump ahead to 2010 and 77 percent of American households had personal computers, the internet had more than 200 million websites, and Facebook had over 600 million users. The internet wasn’t a fad. Next up, the mobile and cloud era that ramped up at an even quicker pace. In 2022, more than 85 percent of Americans own a smartphone with that figuring jumping to 96 percent for ages 18-29. Nearly every aspect of how we work, learn, play, transact, and socialize has been interwoven with technology. The Next Generation of the Internet Since the dawn of computing, the primary way we interact with technology has been through flat screens and flat interfaces; a keyhole view into the expansive digital world. It lacks the very fundamental sense of presence, a feature that is key to the human experience. Our brain always unconsciously maps the 3D world around us both visually and audibly, storing information, memories, and emotions. So, in some ways, transitioning into the world of spatial computing brings us back to how we naturally engage with the world around us. But it’s early. Aspirations of spatial computing, virtual reality, and augmented reality is nothing new. But now, the computing power and the underlying infrastructure have begun to catch up to those aspirations. Like with many disruptive technologies, billions of dollars are currently being invested into this space across industries such as retail, education, healthcare, marketing, entertainment, training, and more. Companies such as Meta (Facebook), HTC, Microsoft, Apple, HP, Nvidia, Unity, Google, Amazon, and Qualcomm are ramping up innovation in hardware, software, and infrastructure. Following the massive consumer adoption by Generations Z and Alpha, enterprise is embracing the new normal and leveraging metaverse technology for remote work and internal upskilling with companies such as Accenture and Walmart already deploying tens of thousands of virtual reality headsets. Where Does the Metaverse Go From Here? We are undoubtedly on the doorstep of the next generation of how humans interact with technology. Like its technological predecessors, the metaverse has the potential to impact how we work, learn, play, and connect. And when it's here, we won't be talking about it. It will be seamlessly integrated into all aspects of our lives just like the internet. The metaverse is not dead. It’s just in its infancy. https://tech.mn/news/the-metaverse-is-more-than-just-those-goggles |
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