Seniors on Mars
Illustration: an orange wing chair on the summit of Everest at sunrise, above the clouds.

27°59′N 86°55′E

The top of Everest.

Illustration: the same chair on the seabed, with a humpback whale and her calf overhead.

40 feet down

Underwater, with whales.

Illustration: the same chair in a town square at dusk, windows lit and a string of lights overhead.

Wherever you grew up

Back to a childhood town.

Illustration: the same chair on a Martian dune at a blue sunset, with Earth as a small star and a rover nearby.

140 million miles away

Seniors on Mars.

The sun goes down blue here.

Nobody left their chair.

A woman wearing a VR headset sits in a community room. Founder Piotr Kierner stands behind her, in shadow.

I will show you the world.

Virtual reality for older adults in nursing homes and community centers.

From the outside, it does not look like much.

Skip the journey

One resident had built infrastructure around the world before a stroke left him mostly silent.

When I asked what he wanted to see, he said quietly:

“the ocean.”

When the headset opened to a coastline, he began describing ports and ships from decades earlier.

For twenty minutes, he was fully alive again.

Piotr Kierner, founder

An older man in an armchair, wearing a VR headset and smiling, reaches out with a controller. Piotr Kierner stands beside him.

Age is no barrier to wonder.

“I found myself in the world of dinosaurs and the surrounding beautiful nature.”

“I must admit that I was a little afraid, so thank you Piotr not only for the unforgettable experience but also for your guidance through this new world.”

Sylvia
2,000+seniors served.
100+VR sessions.
12+U.S. cities.

Founded 2020. A non-profit initiative. BostInno 25 Under 25, 2023.

One grandfather.

Piotr Kierner helps an older woman settle a VR headset over her eyes in a community room.

I started to take my grandfather on virtual adventures using my virtual reality headgear.

He passed away but I decided to continue my work.

Read the story

My thinking has evolved quite a bit.

Read the journal

Who should see the world next?

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