Category: Kortex

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Kortex Expands List Of Compatible Titles

Kortex, the device used in partnership with virtual reality (VR) experiences has announced a number of new titles and expereines that are compatible, offering users more options for immersive stress relief.

Kortex Promo 01

The device uses electrodes which attach to the skin to provide gentle neurostimulation, which in some studies has been shown to stimulate the production of serotonin and lower cortisol. After a large number of beta testers gave feedback on how positive the combination of Kortex and Land’s End: A VR Adventure was, the company have now expanded the umber of titles that will be ideal for use within Kortex. The list is a taste of suggestions put forward by VR World Director of Content, Tommy Goodkin which is based on his six weeks of using Kortex.

For Samsung Gear VR users there are now two additional titles that will work with Kortex. This includes the 2017 Emmy winner title Invasion! from the director of Madagascar, featuring the voice of Ethan Hawke. The second title being Asteroids! which is once again from the director of Madagascar and will take users on an 11-minute immersive cinematic experience through space as part of the crew. Both of these are available via the Oculus Store and are free to download.

KORTEX

For Oculus Rift and HTC Vive users there are even more titles which are now able to be enjoyed along with Kortex. The Climb (Oculus exclusive) will see users climbing up huge heights, feeling the exhilaration of extreme free solo climbing like never before. Take your time and enjoy the views or complete for the fastest time to the top, the choice is up to you. Just make sure you are not afraid of heights.

Google Earth VR is also now supported, allowing users to take a stroll through the streets of their local town or famous cities, soar over the Grand Canyon, or walk around key landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower.

If the ocean is more your thing than TheBlu is for you. Explore the wonder and majesty of the ocean from the comfort of your own home. Visit a range of different habitats and come face to face with some of the most interesting and largest species on the planet. Fantastic Contraption will let users engage in a surreal building title as they build life-sized contraptions that fill the skies, and use them to sure puzzles on the other side of a floating island. No solution is right or wrong, so let your creativity run wild.

Real-time strategy (RTS) title Tethered awaits for users t o lend their guiding hands in a beautiful series of islands that will offer an experience unlike anything a user has seen before. Lastly, Dear Angelica (Oculus exclusive) is a journey through a magical and dreamlike world by the Emmy Award winning Oculus Story Studio. Featuring artwork painted entirely in VR, Dear Angelica is an immersive short story starring Geena Davis and Mae Whitman.

Kortex are continuing their work to develop the neurostimulation solution further and expand the library of suitable content as well. It is currently available to order direct from their website and is compatible with most VR units.

For more on Kortex in the future, keep reading VRFocus.

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Virtualising Stress Relief With Kortex

A great deal of research has been dedicated towards methods of reducing stress and promoting healthy sleep without needing to resort to drugs such as tranquillisers or anti-depressants. Some researchers have discovered that virtual reality (VR) can assist in those outcomes, as shown by the Kortex VR device.

Based on technology developed by Fisher Wallace that has been successfully prescribed to patients in Europe, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, the Kortex device is a type of medical VR device designed to reduce stress and increase general wellness.

The creators of the device, Fisher Wallace, have partnered with two videogames companies to produce launch content for the Kortex, which includes Land’s End: A VR Adventure as well as more medically-inclined AppliedVR and Relax VR. Kortex users will also be able to receive new content recommendations on a monthly basis, including titles such as Old Friend and Chocolate by experienced VR director Tyler Hurd.

Designed to be used one or twice a day for 20 minutes, the Kortex device design allows it to attach to the majority of popular VR headsets, including the Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream, ZEISS VR One Plus, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. The Kortex is not currently compatible with the PlayStation VR.

The Kortex uses electrodes which attach to the skin to provide gentle neurostimulation, which some studies have shown can stimulate the production of serotonin and lower cortisol. The Fisher Wallace Stimulator on which the Kortex is based has been prescribed to over 30,000 patients since 2009.

From February 6th, 2018, visitors to VR World NYC will be able to try out Kortex along with Land’s End: A VR Adventure, which will be installed as a permanent attraction to allow visitors to experience some of the latest developments in healthcare technology.

Further information can be found on the Kortex official website. As always, VRFocus will continue to bring you the latest on new and innovative VR products and services.

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Kortex: Nervenstimulation als VR Zubehör

Mittlerweile haben wir schon einige Projekte gesehen, die unsere Sinne und Nerven täuschen wollen, damit wir noch tiefer in die virtuelle Realität eintauchen können. So experimentiert Samsung beispielsweise mit einem Kopfhörer, der euren Gleichgewichtssinn täuscht und MindMaze will euch sogar die Steuerung innerhalb der virtuellen Welt über die Gedanken ermöglichen. Der Fisher Wallace Stimulator der Fisher Wallace Labs wurde ursprünglich für medizinische Zwecke entwickelt und ermöglicht eine Reduzierung von Stress und eine Verbesserung des Schlafes. Der Stimulator regt das Gehirn zur Ausschüttung von Serotonin und Melatonin an, während die Ausschüttung von Cortisol reduziert wird. Besonders in der Behandlung von Suchtpatienten soll das Kopfband bereits seit Jahren hervorragende Ergebnisse erzielen, doch wie kann es bei Virtual Reality helfen?

Nervenstimulation als VR Zubehör

Das neue VR Zubehör wird als Kortex (nicht mit der Sulon Cortex verwechseln) bezeichnet und das Spiel Land’s End für die Gear VR wird dem Produkt kostenlos beiliegen. Laut den Entwicklern kann das Produkt beim Entspannen in der virtuellen Realität helfen und somit ein nützliches Mittel gegen den Stress im Alltag sein. Gleichzeitig kann das Produkt jedoch auch für eine ernsthafte VR-Therapie verwendet werden. Bereits nach 10 Minuten soll ein Gefühl der Entspannung einsetzen.

Kortex ist bereits erfolgreich über Indiegogo finanziert und das Team ist zuversichtlich, dass eine Auslieferung im Sommer eingehalten werden kann. Wenn ihr an dem Produkt interessiert seid, dann könnt ihr das Unternehmen weiterhin auf Indiegogo unterstützen und euch ein Exemplar des Kortex-Systems für 349 US-Dollar plus Versandkosten sichern. Weitere Informationen hierzu findet ihr auf der entsprechenden Seite der Kampagne.

Interessant klingt die Erfindung definitiv und wir sind schon sehr gespannt auf unseren Test. Doch würdet ihr ein solches Produkt ohne ärztliche Aufsicht verwenden wollen?

Der Beitrag Kortex: Nervenstimulation als VR Zubehör zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Kortex Pairs Sleep And Stress Neurostimulation With VR Headsets

Kortex Pairs Sleep And Stress Neurostimulation With VR Headsets

There are a handful of apps in the VR software ecosystem that serve as escapist experiences by whisking the user away into calm environments like serene forests or a private island. The interactive elements in some of these are minimal, instead getting the user to embrace a sort of virtual trance inspired by the sights and sounds of these places.

Fisher Wallace Labs, a company known for their stimulator that is used to combat insomnia and depression, is taking the isolated nature of VR and magnifying it to become a tool for stress and sleep management. Created in conjunction with Arrow Electronics, Fisher Wallace Lab’s Kortex device is strapped to the rear of a user’s head where the device stimulates the brain in order to produce serotonin and melatonin while reducing cortisol. The combination of actions increases the potential for a calming sensation and rest while countering stress. It can be used by itself or in conjunction with any VR headset. This all sounds wonderful in theory, but what do the studies say?

We reached out to Fisher Wallace via email and discussed some results of using Kortex with Fisher Wallace Labs co-founder Kelly Roman.

“In 2009, we performed a 392-subject study with the Fisher Wallace Stimulator at Phoenix House, the nation’s largest non-profit drug rehab center,” Roman says. “Heroin and cocaine addicts reported improved sleep as a result of using our device, and we increased 90-day rehab retention by 50% versus standard rehab.  This is one reason why the Fisher Wallace Stimulator was approved by Medicaid in Maine last year to treat opioid addiction patients – the first state Medicaid to approve us.”

That approval means Medicaid patients in Maine can get the Fisher Wallace Stimulator at no cost to them. There’s a 100-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled insomnia study currently underway at the University of Texas but the data already received from the stimulator is beneficial right now because Kortex clones it technologically. “By combining our neurostimulation with VR that’s geared to relaxing patients, we expect to see even better results – much more to come,” Roman says.

If you want to read up a bit more on the free game included with Kortex, Land’s End, you’ll see it found a home on our list of the best nine games for the Samsung Gear VR back in November of last year. When asked if the Kortex could have proprietary VR content designed for it, Roman told us they’re planning to build an engagement app modeled after the same apps used in clinical trials that will help users stay motivated and retained with reminders and goals.

“I think there is a huge opportunity on the content side – not just for relaxing or meditative VR, but also for prescription VR therapy, telepsychiatry and physical therapy, and performance/learning/training software,” Roman adds.

“There may be times that you don’t have a VR headset, or just want to use Kortex with your eyes closed on the plane, etc – those use cases are the same we have for the Fisher Wallace Stimulator. But Kortex was designed for VR because VR content is a powerful and complimentary tool,” Roman explains. “I see a very near future in which many baby boomers and other demographics will primarily use VR only for the healthcare value – who will never play an action game. Kortex is synonymous with VR healthcare. Right now, Kortex gives VR healthcare the scientific legs it needs to start sprinting.

The Fisher Wallace team recently added MIT engineers to their team specifically to complete the design package and everything looks to be on track for a late July release with the slightest potential to bleed into August. Head over to the IndieGoGo page if you want to get your hands on Kortex, currently priced at $349, at launch.

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