Curious about the power of Virtual Reality? Come along to the VR Experience Day at Northamptonshire Central Library on Thursday 2 November from 9:30am to 3pm, in association with West Northamptonshire Council Libraries and VR specialists RiVR.
Want to experience how VR can improve the health of your body and mind, help your business with staff training or inspire students in education?
It's free to attend and you can just drop in at any time throughout the day - light refreshments will be provided.
Our event partners RiVR will be making an opening speech at 9:45am, talking about their VR work in various areas and introducing what you’ll be able to try throughout the day.
Come and experience VR in the following areas:
Cultural and heritage
RiVR is a leading VR solutions provider that has revolutionised training with tailored VR scenarios for blue light services and other various industries.
Their immersive products include RiVR Link (VR Classroom in a Box), RiVR CSI Crime Scene Investigation, RiVR Investigate for fire and arson investigators, and RiVR Capture Kit for creating custom content.
RiVR Link has been used at Compton Verney Art Gallery and Museum where a VR experience offers guests the chance to learn about the landscape and gardens of the estate from the point of view of an owl flying around their estate.
Safer streets
The Home Office Safer Streets Initiative has enabled Northamptonshire Police and the University of Northampton to collaborate on creating immersive 360° content using RiVR Link.
This content emphasises changing attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls and their safety.
Psychotherapies
Anxiety and depression are affecting a large part of the UK population.
A team of game developers, VR designers and psychologists from the University of Northampton, St Andrews Healthcare and Cardinal Clinic are aiming to make mental health therapies more accessible and engaging to all patients and ultimately improve their treatment options and quality of life. They developed a new digital solution that automates psychotherapies using VR and game design.
This novel approach allows the patient to undertake the therapy in the comfort of their own surroundings, in the confidence that their therapist is readily available if required to discuss their therapeutic progress.
The VR game-based approach will be particularly beneficial for a wide range of population groups including those who may struggle to attend healthcare services or the younger generation who find it hard to engage in a conventional clinical setting.
Health and therapy
VR Therapies is an award-winning social enterprise based in Northampton, dedicated to improving people’s mental health, wellbeing and rehabilitation through innovative, immersive sensory experiences.
Whether it’s wheelchair-accessible VR driving simulators, hands-free eye-tracking controllers or our pioneering underwater VR headsets, the VR Therapies team of technology, healthcare and therapy experts work together to create tailored one-to-one therapy sessions designed to change lives – for the better.
They offer sessions to meet a range of needs, from schools, colleges and hospitals to residential care and home visits. They also offer wellbeing VR sessions for companies and help to deliver training, workshops, expert advice and tech support on a consultancy basis.
Special Educational Needs
Students in West Northamptonshire have taken part in a trial which uses Virtual Reality technology to support them to travel independently to and from school.
The trial, funded by West Northamptonshire Council in partnership with VR Therapies and Café Track, which supports individuals with autism into employment, saw students at Billing Brook School in Northampton use the technology as part of a pilot scheme to improve memory and increase confidence when travelling alone.
As part of the next phase of the project, West Northamptonshire Council is exploring opportunities with multinational engineering and technology company Bosch.
Bosch successfully ran a similar trial to West Northamptonshire’s current SEN VR project in Denmark.
Jenny Patten from Bosch will be demonstrating a VR bus ride and future VR city environment for the training of daily life skills to support people with SEN and/or anxiety.
Find out more about Bosch’s work with VR in Denmark.
Flight Beyond Sight
Flight Beyond Sight is a bespoke company with a wealth of training delivery experience developing low-cost solutions to complex training problems.
Starting as solely an aviation-focused training company, they have developed a 360 product to branch out to other areas of technical training. Flight Beyond Sight continue to develop their products and training options, pushing the boundaries of what's possible with VR and 360 video.
Find out more about Flight Beyond Sight.
CardioCrown
CardioCrown develop MedTech devices empowering stroke rehabilitation at home.
CardioCrown envisions a world where patients have the tools they need to achieve their best possible recovery, regardless of their location, income, or access to healthcare facilities.
The company’s mission is to leverage the power of technology to transform the way that healthcare is delivered, improving access, quality, and efficiency for patients and clinicians alike.
Find out more about CardioCrown.
Metaverse Learning
“At Metaverse Learning, we simulate real-world environments so that learners can acquire the skills that they need to succeed. We co-create immersive solutions with education and industry partners to solve current and future challenges and close skills gaps. Our immersive learning programs are designed to complement existing curriculae as part of a blended learning approach.
“At Metaverse Learning, we are unique in our approach to designing, developing and implementing digital learning. By working in partnership with an organisation, we create programs designed to meet the needs of learners, supporting them to progress in their learning journey, access employment opportunities, and achieve future success. We don’t just use e-learning.
“At Metaverse Learning, we blend the use of Virtual Reality (VR), Virtual Environments (VE) and Augmented Reality (AR) to make each learning experience more engaging. Our approach helps to build learner confidence and ultimately support increased learner retention and attainment.”
Find out more about Metaverse Learning.