How a California tech company went from gambling to saving lives by DailyCoin

It all started with blood-soaked sand in Kunar province, Afghanistan, at a remote outpost, but none of the founders of 2B3D Inc. knew about it at the time.

Robert Bell was the sales director and owner of Bell Medical Solutions, generating large volumes of revenue to manage multi-million dollar accounts.

“I fell into the market and soon became involved with the crypto,” Bell explained.

“As a first-time investor in NFT, I realized my potential, but there was no easy way to showcase these digital works of art. I knew there was a better way.” Bell launched its own NFT market in 2021 with the intention of creating virtual spaces where NFT can truly be appreciated. Andrew Bjarns contacted a childhood friend to help develop NFT galleries.

Bjarns ’friend graduated from the College of Art and Design with a master’s degree in Fine Arts in Art of Game Design. His team at the University of Southern California developed a “VR electrifying rhythm game” called Super Nova, which was selected as a finalist for the 2018 IEEE GameSIG Showcase in 2018, according to LCAD. This game laid the groundwork for Bjarnsen’s game studio.

“We started talking about his video game projects and my NFT market, and we decided to combine the two,” Bell said.

Bell and Bjarnsen 2B3D Inc. created to develop an NFT-filled VR metabersion using a combination of marketing, cryptocurrency, and game design experience. But why stop there? They also wanted to make a difference in the real world, and for good reason.

Bjarns recently returned from a U.S. military deployment in Afghanistan as a combat doctor.

“I soon recognized that something had changed in my friend,” Bell said.

Like many veterans returning from Afghanistan at the time, Bjarnsen had difficulty recovering from a traumatic event. A condition called post-traumatic stress can last for months or years, with triggers that bring back memories of the trauma, along with intense emotional and physical reactions. Other symptoms include nightmares, unwanted memories of trauma, avoidance of situations that bring back memories, increased reactions, anxiety, or depression.

Veterans who have seen the fight or feel isolated are the most vulnerable to suicidal thoughts. Between 20 and 30 percent of veterans who commit suicide also tested positive for PTSD. Many others remain undiagnosed.

Bell immediately thought of his friend.

“Actually, my‘ aha ’moment was when I looked at 580 suicide veterans last year,” Bell said.

“When I wrote that number and did the math, that’s when something changed in me. I didn’t want to do anything that was fun or nice anymore, but something that could help heal and save lives. I knew it had to be done as soon as possible.” 2B3D- VRx’s flagship project is a gamified mental health solution called VRx for veterans with PTSD.

VR therapy, or the use of VR technology for psychological or therapeutic rehabilitation, is backed by more than 25 years of scientific research. The Naval Research Office believes that VR therapy, with its game features, can resonate with the current generation of warriors. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, video games can help veterans recover from post-traumatic stress disorder.

In an open-label clinical trial of VR therapy conducted by the Naval Research Office, veterans with PTSD experienced a 56 to 90 percent drop in stress response measurements. Another 46 percent of veterans did not test positive for PTSD after receiving VR treatment.

“I get phone calls from strangers who are desperate for this solution,” Bell explained.

“When I realized that it has the potential to save hundreds of lives every day that is closer to our goal, I stopped sleeping so much. I knew we had to do that.” As VRx is pre-loaded on VR headsets, veterans with PTSD will be able to access soothing virtual environments integrated with neurocognitive mini-games designed with data points designed with the help of neuroscientists and neuropsychologists.

In addition, 2B3D has partnered with the Forge Forward Project for nonprofit veterans to conduct a study on VRx using the world’s most advanced imaging and testing protocols. With six different cognitive tests performed inside MRI machines, neuroscientists can measure the effects of their VR games on neurovascular coupling, which is the link between brain neurons and blood flow. Compared to a database of nearly 7,000 images in a real-time brain and a healthy control database, the Forge Forward Project shows how VRx’s neurocognitive mini-games initiate the brain healing process.

Veterans can also use VRx for socialization, community building, and connecting with crisis response managers or mental health therapists in a secure virtual space anywhere in the world.

2B3D is the first technology company of its kind to use virtual reality technology to provide veterans with peace and healing for free. VRx is currently under development, with alpha testing starting in early 2022. Investors and key partners are currently looking into this effort.

“I know we can do more,” Bell said.

“Now we have the research and experience to make a real difference. It’s time to end veteran suicide. Because we should.”

MAGAZINE WOMAN

Register to get the reverse of the crypto

Upgrade your inbox and receive our DailyCoin editor options 1 time a week directly from your inbox.

[contact-form-7]

You can always unsubscribe with a single click.

Continue reading in DailyCoin