Rendever, the leading virtual reality (VR) company created to assist seniors in overcoming social isolation through shared experiences, announces today that the interdisciplinary VR fitness platform, RendeverFit™, is now shipping globally. RendeverFit™, which first became available for preorders in September 2021, is the first VR application to blend physical and cognitive fitness for seniors while also boosting socialization.
“As the shift towards holistic health continues, we need to remember that products should be both accessible and enjoyable! When we started exploring the fitness landscape, it was clear that older adults haven’t had access to products accommodating their mobility needs that also drive motivation to engage and exercise. We’ve taken the strong social backbone that’s defined our platform ecosystem since 2016 to now provide a new form of fitness for older adults with RendeverFit™, one that will motivate a healthier lifestyle through shared experiences,” said Kyle Rand, Cofounder and CEO of Rendever. “Research shows that physical activity among seniors can delay the onset of dementia and also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes. By working with senior living communities and hospice care providers, seniors who physically can no longer take walks or ride a bike now have an alternate, social experience that will keep them moving – and smiling.”
Social engagement has been shown to improve mental health as well as emotional, psychological, and cognitive function among older adults. RendeverFit™ was designed to make physical activity engaging and fun for residents in senior living communities, improving overall health along the way.
“Rolling out RendeverFit™ to our residents is going to positively impact the overall happiness and health of our community. Residents always love trying something new to stay engaged and active, and RendeverFit™ is a platform we know they’ll want to use regularly,” said Kristen Pearce, Vice President of Social Services and Behavioral Health at Monarch Healthcare Management. “Our hope is that RendeverFit™ will bring our residents together while promoting a healthy lifestyle within our community.”
RendeverFit™ offers three modules within the platform, including:
- Cycle: This activity offers participants the chance to cycle through beautiful landscapes with their friends as they reach out, pop colored balloons, and compete for high scores.
- Paddle: In this activity, participants work on their hand-eye coordination as they develop their swing through target practice on a remote island.
- Paint: Participants are invited to a creative immersive environment where they can move around their virtual canvas while painting in 3D. This module is an extension of MultiBrush, the first available multiplayer version of Tilt Brush that the company released in February 2021.
As each of the modules includes interactive hand games, Rendever chose Pico Interactive’s Neo 3 Pro as its hardware of choice. The Neo 3 Pro headsets offer improved accuracy with its 6DoF room-scale tracking. The headsets are lightweight with its ergonomic counterweight design, making it an ideal choice for seniors.
“With our Neo 3 Pro headsets for the enterprise, we continue to develop new features to support our wide range of platforms. One unique feature we’ve been developing is our hand tracking. It will make it possible for users to have more control over their hand movements, which is especially important in activities like those developed for RendeverFit™,” said Leland Hedges, General Manager of Pico Interactive in Europe. “Hand tracking will ultimately deliver a better experience in virtual reality for users. Rendever will be one of the first to use hand tracking in their platform. It’s great to see it being rolled out for such a good cause by helping seniors maintain an active lifestyle.”
Rendever is committed to supporting and improving seniors’ mental health and wellbeing through its platform. During the COVID-19 pandemic, RendeverLive™ was launched, a daily live-programming feature that keeps residents engaged while giving overworked staff a chance to take a break and join in the fun. This new feature was announced as one of TIME’s 2021 Best 100 Inventions.
RendeverFit™ is currently available to order for all senior living communities and healthcare organizations worldwide.
About Rendever
Rendever is overcoming social isolation through the power of virtual reality and shared experiences. From senior living communities to hospitals, their platform is being used to reduce depression and loneliness by fostering personal connections amongst populations where life has become limited. Participants in group sessions can check off bucket list items together, revisit meaningful places and share stories, stay engaged with family members, and more. Rendever is being used by high-profile senior living operators including Revera, Benchmark, and SRG, healthcare systems such as UCHealth and Cleveland Clinic, has research funded by the NIH and NIA, and has commercial partnerships with major organizations like AARP and Verizon.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
