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04/07/2021 – About the Topic:

Reaching a year that Chicago and the USA joined with worldwide lockdown, on April 7th at 6pm CST, VRAR Chicago explores The Next Evolution of Health, Wellness, and Fitness. 

A significant challenge for many in quarantine is how it is impacting physical, psychological, and emotional health. Inactive lifestyles due to stay-at-home orders can lead to decline in health and wellness. Simple acts of standing and stretching can be immensely helpful for physical health in contrast to sitting. Meditation and access to therapy can have significant impacts on your mental health. Immersive Technologies have been crucial during the pandemic for providing more – socially distanced – opportunities for people to gain access to meditation, therapy, and fitness programs. Even just standing while VR fishing can have real impact for many while providing a relaxing, immersive experience. Continuing to de-stigmatize mental health as taboo, XR offers methods that individuals can actively pursue their own path for cognitive – as well as physical – health. 

Join us Wednesday, April 7th, 2021 in Virbela as we discuss how immersive technology is taking on hugely important aspects of our health and wellness.

Panel Members:

Guest Host:

VRAR Chicago Virtual Meetups

The Virbela virtual environment resembles a physical space, so you will be able to talk with other attendees prior to the start of the presentations. We suggest that you arrive no later than 6:00pm and we will get started promptly at 6:15. Please try to get familiar with the technology prior to the day of the meetup, as we will be unable to provide support during the event.

We will start with informal networking, then host a panel discussion to answer audience questions, and we end with more networking. We keep it simple and informal – this meetup is about you, our members, and not just a soap box for the host, presenters, or our sponsors. Come and get your questions answered, take your next step in Immersive Technology.

What’s the Format:

6:00-6:15pm – Networking & Preparation

6:15-6:30pm – Introductions & Welcome

6:30-7:30pm – Panel Discussion and Q&A

7:30-8:00pm – Networking

thank you to our sponsors

thank you to our partners

Signing up for VirBELA

VirBELA is available on mac, windows, rift and vive.

First, you will want to create your account and then download the program onto your computer by going to their registration page. For Rift and Vive, it should be pretty straightforward in their interface.

  • You will need to verify your email address
  • Create an avatar
  • Log into their “open campus”

Once logged in and in the VirBELA open campus area, walk around with your arrow keys and then click the Go To menu on top left of the screen. Our program will be in the Conference Hall, so you will need to click that option to join us.

System Recommendations

  • PC or Mac, Windows 7 SP1+ or newer Mac OS X 10.11 or newer
  • Headphones and a microphone
  • Power cord plugged in for extended use

Entering the Virtual Venue – Conference Hall

  • Log into VirBELA
  • Click Go To menu on top left of your screen
  • Select Conference Hall

VRAR Chicago Virtual Environment Code of Conduct

Open microphones and/or not using headphones can create an echo effect that can negatively affect others’ experiences

  • Please use headphones if you can.
  • Keep your microphone on push-to-talk (using the number 1 key)
  • Act as if this is a space that you are in physically!
  • For the Questions and Answers portion
    • Click “Raise Hand” on bottom of your screen
    • Wait to be called on
    • Ask your question
      • Press the 1 key and hold it to open your mic
      • Ask your question and wait a moment
      • Release the 1 key

VirBELA tricks

  • Press and hold the 1 button to open your microphone to speak
  • Pressing the spacebar unlocks your view or “head” to look around
  • You can click someone’s name and click Go To and automatically walk to them
  • Your Go To menu lets you raise your hand, wave, or even dance!
  • Click the screen menu on top of your screen once in the Conference Hall to select your preferred ‘view’ to enjoy the program. 
    • You can toggle between these selections during the program