Ronald McDonald House British Columbia has partnered with a local technology company to create an interactive, holographic room for children staying at the facility — the first of its kind.
Vancouver-based H+Technology worked on Ronald McDonald House B.C.'s "Magic Room" to create a totally immersive and innovative space for kids to forget the outside world, and with it, their troubles.
"It's a room meant for kids to enter and feel safe and forget about all their worries and things that are happening in their lives," H+ marketing manager Chris Archer told The Huffington Post B.C. "What H+Technology wanted to do was create a magical experience and bring the room to life."
Inside the room, peaceful music plays from a surround sound system, and a bunch of stuffed animals are placed for the taking. Each animal has an ID tag that can be scanned; when this happens, a lively beaver character and his surrounding walls come to life. Each ID tag prompts a different response.
"What we really wanted to do was showcase [technology] by putting it in kids' environments where they will appreciate and benefit from it the most," Archer said.
The B.C. house is the first in the world to have a room like this one, although Archer said they are in talks with other Ronald McDonald houses across Canada.
The project took two months and 12 people to build. The "Enchanted Forest" is the first iteration of the Magic Room; the room's theme will eventually change to "Aquaworld," and 3D sensors will be added to bring characters to life when children stand in different spots.
"The Magic Room is a place where the children, while they're staying at Ronald McDonald House, can go into and have an experience," Ronald McDonald House B.C. and Yukon CEO Richard Pass said in a promo video. "They're not sick for that period of time."
The Ronald McDonald House B.C. opened its new location in June and will serve 2,500 families from across the province every year.
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