A blood donor wearing a Microsoft Hololens 2 headset for a mixed reality experience while giving. [Photo courtesy of Abbott]
Mixed reality technology will aim to ease and entertain blood donors while they’re in the chair under a pilot program from Abbott and Blood Centers of America.Blood donors wearing mixed reality (a combination of virtual reality and augmented reality) headsets will find themselves in “a whimsical garden while listening to soothing music, planting seeds that grow into colorful trees and flowers,” Abbott said in a news release.
It’s an effort to improve the blood donation process and attract new donors, particularly younger people, to bolster the nation’s blood supply.
“Not only is it an immersive and unique use of mixed reality controlled completely through eye tracking, it’s a high-tech and creative way to improve the donation experience a…