Can VR technology save the world?

Quesnel is convinced VR technology has way

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more potential than its current common application as an entertainment medium. She said using the technology to immerse users in unfamiliar environments can create a sense of awe that has the power to change how that person views the world or a personal crisis.

Her assertion comes from first-hand experience.

A lifelong sufferer of juvenile arthritis, Quesnel said she often struggled with feelings of isolation because her disability was largely invisible to everyone around her and she couldn’t properly convey to them the challenges the disease presented. But a chance encounter with a virtual reality installation by Canadian artist Char Davies showed her a new way.

“It was so moving, I thought, what if you could communicate in these immersive environments?” Quesnel said of her visit to a piece that allowed her to breathe in tandem with a tree. “It was kind of an ‘a-ha!’ moment to use this for positive ways.”

That led Quesnel, who’d worked in the film and special effects industry for more than 10 years, to launch VR Village, a forum that gathers virtual reality projects from around the world, some of which are demonstrated at an annual conference of computer graphics and interactive technology professionals and enthusiasts.

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