The loss of a loved one, especially a family member, is certainly one of the most terrible experiences that a person, in this case a mother, can experience on their own skin. Ms. Jang, a South Korean woman and mother of Nayeon who, in 2016, lost her life at the age of 7 following an illness without a cure, knows something about it. The poor mother, however, could not have known that after three years she would be able to “embrace” her daughter again thanks to the progress of virtual reality.

The project behind this simulation, entitled “I met you” , is the work of Munhwa Broadcasting which made a television documentary of it. Ms. Jang, wearing the classic virtual helmet plus some hand and body sensors, “entered” a digital world where she could see her baby girl again, animated in 3D, recreated thanks to photographs and capturing the movements of another child, just like with motion capture. The result is something incredible that, at least in terms of emotions, is really difficult to explain. Jang and Nayeon were able to talk again, eat together, run along the countryside and live a day like many others that will never happen again in the future. During the simulation, Jang’s relatives could observe the woman’s perspective thanks to external monitors; emotion obviously took over everyone, including the father, brother and sister of little Nayeon. These are the words of Jang after the lived experience:

“I lived a happy moment, the dream I always wanted to live. It was like heaven “

Words that are easy to understand but difficult to internalize for those who have never lived through similar experiences. What is certain is that for once the technology used mostly for the creation of a pastime such as video games or cinema has served a much more important purpose, probably going outside the box we are all used to, giving back to a simple mother, at least for a few hours, a daughter now lost forever.