Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Donating blood is one of those things a lot of people want to do, but still avoid because of anxiety, needles, or just the discomfort of sitting through the process.
That’s what makes this XR blood donation experience so interesting.
Abbott and Blood Centers of America are using mixed reality to help make the donation experience feel less intimidating. Donors can put on a Samsung Galaxy XR headset and play interactive mixed-reality games during the blood draw, including a calming Zen Garden experience and a space adventure called Intergalactica.
The point is not to escape reality completely. It’s mixed reality, so donors can still see the room, and medical staff can still monitor them. The games are also designed to be controlled mostly through eye gaze, because one arm is obviously occupied during the donation.
The early feedback is what makes this more than a novelty: 68% of donors surveyed said the headset helped reduce anxiety, and 89% said using the headset would make them more likely to donate again.
That matters because younger donors are a major challenge. According to the article, 19-to-24-year-olds make up just 6% of blood donations.
The experience was developed by Rock Paper Reality, and one of the most unexpected details is that the games’ soundtrack was recorded by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
This is the kind of XR use case that feels immediately understandable. Not a headset looking for a problem, but technology being used to make a real-world moment easier, calmer, and maybe more likely to happen again.
Seen at AWE XR.
#AWE2026 #AugmentedReality
Donating blood is one of those things a lot of people want to do, but still avoid because of anxiety, needles, or just the discomfort of sitting through the process.
That’s what makes this XR blood donation experience so interesting.
Abbott and Blood Centers of America are using mixed reality to help make the donation experience feel less intimidating. Donors can put on a Samsung Galaxy XR headset and play interactive mixed-reality games during the blood draw, including a calming Zen Garden experience and a space adventure called Intergalactica.
The point is not to escape reality completely. It’s mixed reality, so donors can still see the room, and medical staff can still monitor them. The games are also designed to be controlled mostly through eye gaze, because one arm is obviously occupied during the donation.
The early feedback is what makes this more than a novelty: 68% of donors surveyed said the headset helped reduce anxiety, and 89% said using the headset would make them more likely to donate again.
That matters because younger donors are a major challenge. According to the article, 19-to-24-year-olds make up just 6% of blood donations.
The experience was developed by Rock Paper Reality, and one of the most unexpected details is that the games’ soundtrack was recorded by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
This is the kind of XR use case that feels immediately understandable. Not a headset looking for a problem, but technology being used to make a real-world moment easier, calmer, and maybe more likely to happen again.
Seen at AWE XR.
#AWE2026 #AugmentedReality
