An augmented reality game lets hospitalised children become paleontologists

The SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital has a new resource in their Hospital Amic programme. It's called Saurus Kids, an augmented reality game that lets young children who have been hospitalised become little paleontologists.

The game is meant to help reduce anxiety through distraction and entertainment, allowing children to embark on an exciting adventure in search of dinosaur fossils. Equipped with augmented reality devices, the children are able to explore the Hospital environment in search of clues and virtual fossils, thereby helping them to escape from their worries about medical treatment and delve into an enthralling world of discovery. The aim of the immersive experience is to allow patients to forget about their worries about medical treatment for a while.

Implementing this augmented reality game is part of the ‘Esa Sonrisa’ [That Smile] programme by the Cleardent Foundation, an initiative that hopes to humanise the paediatric hospital experience. The game was developed by the company Lucatia with the help of nursing, medical and psychology professionals, and is specifically designed to counter the stress and anxiety that children often feel when in hospital.

Dr Marc Montoliu, Head of the Saurus Kids team, tells us: ‘Our main goal is to give children a positive escape during their time in hospital. Augmented reality allows them to immerse themselves in a fascinating world of learning, letting them forget about their medical worries and concerns for a while. This can have a very positive impact on their emotional well-being and their recovery.’

The Saurus Kids experience was designed with the safety and comfort of paediatric patients in mind. The augmented reality devices are easy-to-use and can be adjusted to each little user. Moreover, the volunteer team at the SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital will provide help and support at all times.