Australian studio using Unreal Engine 4 and Kinect 2 to provide sensory therapy to dementia patients

Melbourne, Australia-based digital design studio Opaque Multimedia and charity Alzheimer’s Australia Vic want to break new ground in dementia care, and they’re turning to video game technology for help.

They’re currently seeking crowdfunding support for The Forest Project, an interactive virtual environment designed as a sensory therapy tool for people living with dementia. Created using Epic’s Unreal Engine 4 and Microsoft’s motion-sensing camera Kinect, it enables people to change the aspects of a forest setting by using large, simple gestures. With the wave of a hand, they can cause winds to blow, seasons to change, and leaves to fall from trees. They can even interact with various forms of wildlife.