Oculus VR launches VR for Good pilot programmes

Facebook-owned Oculus VR has announced the launch of an initiative, dubbed VR for Good, which it claims will help communities and non-profit organisations embrace virtual reality as a useful tool for messaging.

Unveiled late last night, Oculus VR's latest project is split into two complementary programmes: 360 Filmmakers Challenge for Students sees nine San Francisco Bay Area high schools paired with professional filmmakers to produce short 360-degree VR videos about their local community, with all hardware and software provided; 360 Bootcamp for Nonprofits extends the project by bringing ten filmmakers into partnership with ten non-profit organisations for a ten-day bootcamp at Facebook's headquarters.

'Virtual reality has unlimited potential for gaming and entertainment, but it’s also a powerful way to drive important social change,' claimed an Oculus VR spokesperson of the programmes, which build upon Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's belief that virtual reality has a broader potential for impact on every day life than simply enhancing gaming. 'Filmmakers everywhere see this and are pushing the boundaries of cinematic VR to tell stories with an impact. There’s also a large community of nonprofit organizations eager to embrace VR as a tool to raise awareness for causes in need of a voice.'

The pilot programme, detailed in full on the official website, may expand in the future, Oculus VR has indicated. Its announcement follows HTC's launching of the Vive X accellerator programme in April.