Combating human exploitation by providing victims a safe space in which to tell their stories.
According to research conducted by The International Labour Organization, human trafficking is currently a $150 billion global industry, with over 40.3 million people trapped in horrific situations ranging from forced labor to prostitution. That’s 5.4 victims for every 1,000 people, 25% of whom are children.
Developed by Dr. Brook Parker Bello, Google Next Gen Policy Leader and recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama, and her team in partnership with Chance Glasco, co-creator of “Call of Duty” video-game franchise and co-founder of Doghead Simulations, VR-Eval is a brand new immersive platform designed to provide victims of human trafficking with a safe and comfortable environment in which to share their struggles and experiences with trained professionals in a judgment-free manner.
Built using Doghead Simulations VR social collaboration platform, Rumii, survivors can create a personalized avatar of their choosing and enter a private virtual space in which they can discuss their experiences with trained case managers no matter their location. Victims are provided with a safe and secure environment where they need not worry about dealing with any preconceived notions based on their gender, IQ, race, or socio-economic placement; everyone is treated equally regardless of their background.
“We must mitigate challenges that can be bridged in today’s digital world in order to provide children and young adults with the best care and innovative opportunities to assist them with the profound trauma they’ve experienced.”
Miami-Dade County and Florida State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, and Alicia Priovolos, Director of the Office of the State Attorney Human Trafficking Unit, recently worked alongside Fullsail University to conduct and record a blind study of the technology and its capabilities, using participants from both the ‘Chance’ and ‘More Too Life’ programs as subjects. A documentary on the study, as well as a full report of its results, will be made available later this year, at which point the project will be open to other agencies for use.
The team hopes that by providing survivors with a comfortable space in which to share their experiences, they’ll not only assist victims in properly reacclimating to society, but also gather critical information that could lead to the capture of human traffickers.
Doghead Simulation’s Rumii app was recently used by the companies CEO as a means of losing weight, providing him with a customizable private gym experience in which he could link up with other fitness enthusiasts for remote group workouts.
Designed primarily for enterprise and educational purposes, Rumii is quietly becoming one of the more intuitive and convenient immersive collaboration platforms currently available.
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