Ant Middleton, who is best known for his role in the military training show SAS, is working with MR glasses company PhotonLens to create a virtual reality experience inspired by his Mount Everest climb.
They will also donate 70 mixed reality headsets to universities, all of which come pre-loaded with the immersive experience. In doing so, they hope to encourage innovation and promote mental resilience, particularly among younger generations.
Middleton summited the world’s highest mountain after a grueling five-week expedition along with Ed Wardle. An hour-long documentary called Extreme Everest on Channel 4 captured his death-defying climb in 2018.
The following year, he penned The Fear Bubble: Harness Fear and Live Without Limits, which describes his harrowing climb to the summit. It also details the mental and physical challenges he faced along the way.
By partnering with PhotonLens and digital agency Be-Hookd, he hopes to share the lessons from Mount Everest. The pandemic has been very taxing for everyone. It’s taking a toll on everyone’s mental health and wellbeing.
Through this immersive project, Middleton hopes to make a difference in the lives of many, particularly the youth.
Together, they will be creating an intimate 360-degree immersive experience. The virtual expedition will unveil Middleton’s unique mindset, which helped him summit and survive Everest. Moreover, it will show VR users how to harness the power of fears amid challenging situations.
According to George James, CEO of Be-Hookd, they are working closely with Middleton to make the immersive experience “as true to his climb as possible.” It will contain anecdotes, as well as several personal stories.
Aside from the virtual reality experience, Middleton will donate 70 mixed reality headsets to universities. He is pleased to have this opportunity to support students who have been struggling to cope over the last year. At the same time, he hopes his lessons of resilience can help students, especially amid this global health crisis.
By partnering with universities, PhotonLens is looking forward to inspiring the next generation of innovators, says co-founder Lisa Pan. They hope that this opportunity can give students positive learning experiences despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, they’re hoping that immersive tech continues to fill the voids across industries, from education to travel and entertainment.
Middleton and PhotonLens will be giving away 40 mixed reality headsets via a social media competition in June. All the giveaways will come pre-loaded with the VR experience. Later on, Be-Hookd will roll out the digital experience, which virtual reality users can partake in from the comfort of their home.
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