Virtual reality glasses to increase empathy

At the "UnBox" entrepreneurship center at Bar-Ilan University, a technological initiative based on virtual reality is being developed, the goal of which is to make people understand others, identify with them, and thus lead to the bridging of gaps. The virtual reality technology has the ability to make the user experience what the person opposite feels, and to literally 'walk in their shoes'. Prof. Moti Neiger, from the School of Communication at Bar-Ilan University, developed a tool that harnesses these technological capabilities in order to bridge the gaps between service providers and patients in the health care system.


The project, developed at the Bar-Ilan center for entrepreneurship "UnBox", provides a response to crisis situations between doctors and patients by creating a VR experience that simulates violent friction in hospitals. The participants experience the situation through the VR glasses both from the patients' point of view and from the point of view of the medical staff. The feelings that arise during the viewing, and the experience of different levels of escalation, teach and influence how the participants will deal with hostile situations in the future. This technology can prevent deterioration to violence not only in health institutions, but also in schools and the business world.