World-First: Live Streaming Birth!

The Gear VR virtual reality headset was the center of this long distance bonding for Jason Larke, a contract electrical engineer. His job kept him from being at the hospital where his wife Alison was giving birth to their third child.

We all know about virtual reality’s potential for revolutionizing the world of home entertainment. But a remarkable event in Australia has just delivered a poignant reminder of how VR could also have a dramatic effect on our day to day real lives by effectively letting us be in two places at once.

As any parent knows, the birth of a child is about as powerful and emotional as life gets. So it’s not hard to imagine how distraught Australian father Jason ‘Jace’ Larke was when he discovered that an unavoidable work commitment was going to put him 4000 kilometers away from his wife Alison right at the time she was due to give birth to their third child.

Using Samsung Gear VR, you’re about to witness the world’s first live virtual-reality birth. Mom is in Perth, Australia and Dad is thousands of miles away on work. The couple was, of course, depressed and heartbroken by the distance between them — but for the first time, this technology is available to bring people closer than ever before, and so they were able to experience the birth of their child together. Watch to see how the process unfolds. It’s as if Dad’s right there in the delivery room with his wife and newborn baby.

Speaking about her experience, Alison said: "After we found out I was five weeks pregnant with our third child, we watched our baby grow, found out he was a boy and dreamed about what the future may hold. Then at 30 weeks pregnant, Jace's contract roster was confirmed and it was more than likely he would miss the birth our baby, pending a miracle. But that's exactly what we got.

"We were given the opportunity to be involved in the Samsung project. Jace was able to see our son born & experience the birth as if he was in the room with me even though he was working away on the other side of the country. For me it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders knowing he would not be missing out on such a precious moment in our lives and we would virtually be experiencing the birth together. It has been an absolutely amazing, once in a life time experience that has changed our lives forever."
Arno Lenior, Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung, said: "Being a father myself, I know how incredible the birth of a child is. Alison and Jason's story is familiar to millions of Australians and the reality of being away from family and friends is a heart-wrenching experience that most of us understand. But through the power of the Gear VR technology, we could help Jason welcome his third son into the world, in an exciting, unique way. This is true innovation. This is what technology is all about; enabling human experiences?

Samsung is currently on a roll with their emotional ads, each of which tells a real-life story and tugs at our heartstrings in the process.

Credits: Samsung Australia

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