Using Virtual Reality To Help People With Disabilities

When we think of virtual reality, we often think of putting on a headset and immersing ourselves in the technology for the purposes of entertainment.

Recently, Microsoft has taken the idea in a different direction. The DreamWalker is a VR system that allows its users to navigate the real world on foot while simultaneously seeing themselves strolling around in a place of their choosing in the virtual world.

This new system can be used to alleviate not just boredom but level the playing field Microsoft senior researcher Eyal Ofek explained.

“It is not cookie cutter for all users, it needs to be different for every user depending on their environment,” Ofek said.

The project has been in development for roughly 15 years and Microsoft recently released a paper on their first field test.

Guests: Eyal Ofek is a senior researcher at Microsoft.

Prepared for web by WILL intern Tatiania Perry