Delivering a magical winter wonderland right to the young patients of the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
There’s nothing more exciting about an emerging technology then its potential benefits to mankind. Not surprisingly, both AR and VR have been instrumental in some of the most ambitious and impactful humanitarian projects of the past few years. We’ve seen everything from VR experiences designed to simulate the struggles of living as one of the homeless, to AR applications that highlight the hardships of Ethiopian families living without clean water.
Now it appears as though AR is being utilized to support an entirely different group of less fortunate individuals: the ailing children currently hospitalized at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in California. Thanks to the fine folks over at Japanese auto manufacturer Honda Motor Company, dozens of bedridden children are being treated to a mystical winter wonderland experience complete with cute snowmen tossing around snowballs and a flock of origami birds. Operating on the Blippar AR platform, kids simply hold up an iPad to reveal the playful digital experience and begin exploring their new world.
“Sending warm wishes to others is one of the best traditions of the holiday season and through a little Honda innovation we’re using augmented reality to send messages that will brighten the lives of young patients at Children’s Hospital of Orange County,” stated Susie Rossick, asst. vice president of Honda Marketing.
The coolest part of this generous AR experience however is an augmented Christmas tree composed entirely of digital “get-well” customized with each child’s name. These comforting messages are actually created from various supportive social media posts as well as video messages from the hospital staff. The giving doesn’t stop here though.
Along with this charming AR experience, Honda is donating a hefty quantity of cash. How much exactly? Well that’s up to you. For every like the companies eye-watering video receives on YouTube, Honda will contribute $1 (up to $100,000) to both the California hospital as well as the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. So for once simply hitting that like button will actually do some good.
