Yesterday was Grandmothers' Day, and my own grandmother really inspired me this time! I'm going to explain how I came to launch Lumeen to improve the well-being of elderly people virtual reality.

Before launching Lumeen, I worked in the United States at Sketchfab, a leading French startup in 3D and virtual reality. That’s where I was able to learn a great deal about the subject. For four years, I accompanied Alban, the CEO, all across the U.S. to attend conferences on new immersive media and to meet with key players in this rapidly evolving industry.

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And just like a grandson who loves his grandmother, whenever I returned to France, I never failed to visit her at her care homes. Getting older isn’t always fun, and every time I went to see her, I reminded myself that virtual reality the power to improve the well-being of elderly people, stimulate them, and take them away from their daily routines.

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Naturally, I decided to test this concept with my grandmother and the residents of her care homes. To help me, I spontaneously turned to Robin, my younger brother, who is nurse has worked in care homes for several years. Together, we quickly realized two things:

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• There is great potential: virtual reality elderly people an almost instantaneous senseGetaway well-being. caregivers also caregivers numerous therapeutic benefits that we hadn’t anticipated. Furthermore, through our research, we realized that virtual reality has proven effective in numerous clinical trials.

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• There is a significant technological barrier: virtual reality Headsets virtual reality designed for elderly people alone for use in group workshops with multiple care recipients.

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With such positive feedback, we couldn’t just stop there, so I suggested to Robin that we team up. As a caregiver, he immediately embraced the mission of improving the well-being of elderly people. Brothers—and now teammates—we’ve embarked on this crazy project to bring virtual reality nursing homes.

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A solution and tailored solution

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Frédéric, our third partner, joined us a few months later to help us develop a solution tailored to the needs of elderly people. elderly people curious about technology but are afraid of failing. They’re afraid they won’t understand how it works or that they’ll be overwhelmed. They’re supported by competent caregivers, but those caregivers aren’t always comfortable with new technologies. So we developed a simple tool for caregivers that makes it easier to support one or more elderly people.

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Our tablet app makes using virtual reality Headsets virtual reality for both staff and residents. Using a tablet, an activities coordinator easily select an immersive experience and stream it to multiple Headsets . Residents don’t have to perform any complicated steps. Both staff and residents can get the hang of our technology in just a few minutes.

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A rich and ever-expanding library

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Our experiences are designed for seniors. We offer a wide selection of immersive videos on the themes of travel, nature culture. With Lumeen, you can be transported to a turquoise sea or the summit of a snow-capped mountain; swim with dolphins or come face-to-face with a Canadian elk; marvel at the Northern Lights in Alaska or discover Thailand and its customs; visit a cattle ranch or a major Parisian museum. We aim to cater to everyone’s desire for discovery and nostalgia. To do this, we work with creators from all over the world to continually offer new experiences. All our experiences are accompanied by soft, relaxing music.

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A Human and Shared Experience

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Maintaining social connections is essential for combating the loss of independence. Our immersive experiences are fascinating and are best enjoyed in a group. This allows participants to discuss and reflect on this shared experience.

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During the immersion session, participants move their heads in all directions, point, and interact. This may seem trivial, but for elderly people a real source of stimulation!

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To enhance these benefits, we’ve incorporated interactive content into our tablet app that allows caregivers facilitators to encourage conversation and social connection before, during, and after sessions. Presented in the form of quizzes and storytelling, this content helps make the experience enjoyable, while also stimulating memory and encouraging the sharing of feelings. The videos last between 7 and 12 minutes and are incorporated into workshops lasting approximately 45 minutes.

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Significant potential for growth

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In addition to being a major societal challenge, the aging population represents a huge market. If we focus on France, Germany, and Italy, there are more than 35,000 nursing homes; and with a projected 94% increase in the number of people over 80 by 2040, it is estimated that 75% more beds will be needed by then. And that’s not even counting assisted living facilities, day care centers, home health care services (SSIAD), post-acute care (SSR), long-term care facilities (USLD), and other specialized facilities. What’s more, France leads the way in healthy aging: the top four European groups in this sector are French.

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virtual reality technology virtual reality evolve significantly in the coming years. Lumeen is a forward-looking project. We have plenty of ideas for 2019, and we’re going to launch an R&D program with a professor of medicine specializing in neurology and geriatrics.

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I’m thrilled to be embarking on this adventure with two co-founders whom I know well and in whom I have complete confidence. We’ve joined Station F’s prestigious Founders Program and are preparing to launch our product. Our mission to improve the well-being of elderly people begun. There are still plenty of surprises in store! To follow our progress, follow us onFacebook,LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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See you soon,
Corentin