Are you 50 or over, interested in virtual reality, and want to help with mental health and reducing loneliness among your peers? If so, you may be interested in helping develop Planet Wellbeing.
For the last year, a focus group of older people has been meeting and co-designing a virtual reality with Sheffield Hallam University. The project, entitled Planet Wellbeing has been set up in conjunction with PixelMill Digital with involvement from Age UK Sheffield.
Sheffield Hallam are now recruiting for the next focus group for the project, which is exploring how virtual reality can be used to improve the lives of older people.
One in 15 people aged 50+ are often lonely, rising to one in three who are widowed, and one in four in poor health. Loneliness and social isolation have numerous health consequences including 26% increased mortality likelihood and more than doubling the risk of developing dementia. Lonely individuals are more prone to both depression and suicide.
Planet WellBeing will be a virtual world to allow people to use natural physical movements to control their avatar performing fun and engaging activities with friends and family and/or strangers in a virtual environment. These activities might include exploring on foot or in vehicles, dancing, games, or interacting with robot animals.
Participants should be over 50, live independently in the community and have a TV and internet access in their home.
Anyone who wants to participate needs to complete this recruitment survey or if they have any questions should email Nantia Koulidou at n.koulidou@shu.ac.uk or Andrea Wigfield at Andrea.Wigfield@shu.ac.uk.
The focus group is due to begin in Mid-May.
