DemVR Hackathon Aims To Create VR Experiences For People With Dementia

Virtual reality (VR) has been used on a number of occasions for dementia purposes, whether that’s to help spread awareness or help teach medical students what life is like with dementia. Next month the University of Newcastle will be hosting a unique hackathon called DemVR, for the sole purpose of designing VR experiences for people living with the disease. Organised by Open Lab at Newcastle University and held in the city’s Great North Museum, everyone is encouraged to apply – no prior VR knowledge is needed – as there will be experts in both VR and dementia on hand to give advice. Open Lab is looking for new and innovative ideas to help those living with dementia, whether it’s through a VR hardware solution or an interactive VR experience. PhD student and founder of DemVR, James Hodge has been researching the potential of using VR in dementia cases, saying: “Our previous design work looked at not being burdened by the past or focus on perceived cognitive deficits, but where the person with dementia is enabled to drive the experience in all its richness. “Dementia affects people differently, and through our research we’ve found it’s important to create personalised experiences to match that.”