BELLA VR uses escapism to treat anxiety
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New VR headset simplifies the patient experience.
The medical field and the world of virtual reality can work well in tandem, and BELLA VR is one company looking to innovate in both fields simultaneously.
However, while many VR platforms exist to help with various kinds of therapies that directly address a patient’s mental or physical health, BELLA VR provides an escape from whatever issues they may be facing.
A product of Kansas City’s Northpass Immersive, BELLA VR allows patients to escape to virtual spaces in order to deal with pain and anxiety.
From the outset, BELLA VR is patient-friendly, providing a multi-lingual interface to cater to as many patients as possible. It’s essentially as simple as strapping on the VR headset and headphones and choosing an experience.

There are a variety of different experiences available within BELLA VR, including a canoe trip, a hot-air balloon ride, a scenic gondola ride, and a live quartet concert. There’s also a Where’s Waldo-style game that challenges users to find a baby elephant named Fiona.
The kind of therapeutic experience provided by BELLA VR is backed by multiple scientific studies including one out of the University of Washington. These studies demonstrate that VR experiences can indeed help patients deal with their pain and anxiety levels.
BELLA VR may sound like any other VR experience, similar to other Mobile VR headsets, but BELLA VR carries some of its very own innovations. It makes use of a capability called “auto-horizon adjust.” This allows a greater range of movement for users, meaning they can lay down without de-calibrating the VR headset’s horizon. This helps reinforce BELLA VR’s focus on remaining a “gaze-based” VR device, meaning it does not require a controller; rather, the user’s gaze controls where the virtual view focuses. Healthcare environments are often rife with hustle and bustle and can sometimes be crowded, and BELLA VR’s minimalist design philosophy means it is convenient and less cumbersome than a more complex headset might be.
To the makers of BELLA VR, it is a benefit to people in difficult situations by providing a potentially much-needed escape. It does so via its software, but the benefits aren’t limited to what the user can see and hear. Its design is nonintrusive, carrying no cables and not requiring a computer or IT.
On a practical level, BELLA VR is less bulky than many other VR headsets, and its surface is nonporous, making it very easy to clean and sanitize in a very short amount of time.
BELLA VR is available for a scheduled demo at: https://www.northpassimmersive.com/demo/
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