Collaboration: University of British Columbia School of Nursing, Vancouver Senior Residential Homes, Coastal Health Nurses, and Community Caretakers
This project was developed in collaboration with the University of British Columbia's School of Nursing, senior residential homes in Vancouver, healthcare professionals from Coastal Health, and community members with firsthand experience in caretaking for Alzheimer’s patients. The objective was to evaluate the user experience and efficacy of VR simulations as a training tool, exposing users to real-life scenarios they may encounter while caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease.
My Role: Simulation Designer and Developer, Research Assistant
The recording was made while sitting down, so the perspective is lower than the actual gameplay. Due to Oculus casting lag, the video has a significant lag, which is not prominent in normal play throughs.
In this project, I independently created two immersive VR simulations: one set in a hospital environment and the other in a residential home. I was part of a four-person team, including Professor Annie Wan and colleagues Liam Davidson and Marcus Hobkirk. Liam was responsible for developing the Meta-humans and rigging them for motion capture, handled by Marcus, who also independently created a residential scene. In addition, I worked on the narrative design to craft the background stories of our Meta-human patients to foster compassion and empathy (part of the narrative is featured in the later part of the hospital scene). I also worked on using customized, ethnic AI voice actors to generate the vocal performances of our Meta-humans. Our project featured custom-designed avatars of marginalized or under-represented demographics, as there were a limited amount of ready-to-use ethnic Meta-humans available.
One of the most significant challenges was transitioning from Unity to Unreal Engine, a new tool for me at the time. However, this challenge turned into a rewarding learning experience, and I now feel confident in my ability to design and produce games using Unreal Engine.
Responsibilities:
VR Interactions: Designed and implemented interactive elements and game logic.
Environment Design: Customized materials and designed immersive environments.
User Interface: Developed intuitive UI for seamless user interaction.
Script & Audio Production: Utilized AI tools for scripting and audio production.
Animation: Created and integrated animation sequences.
This project not only honed my skills in VR development but also deepened my understanding of the practical applications of game design in healthcare.