When somebody thinks of virtual reality (VR), they will likely imagine the familiar head-mounted display (HMD) strapped to the face of a jubilant gamer grinning widely. Not so much the image of a family huddled together in a VR studio, clutching each other, crying in joy.

Alvaro Morales and Frisly Soberanis, founders of the Family Reunions Project. Source: Nirma Hasty / NBC News.

Created by Alvaro Morales and Frisly Soberanis, the Family Reunion Project’s immersive VR postcards virtually transport users back home. In NBC’s documentary Eliminating Borders, Maria, an immigrant from Peru, has able to spend a few minutes with her brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews. For Morales and Soberanis, this tech is letting them transport users across distances, across borders, to have real experiences of family.

“There are very few projects exploring who needs this transportation,” says Morales, “Family Reunions Project is an initiative that uses virtual reality to immerse undocumented immigrants in the physical spaces, families, and homes they can’t return to, and also bring attention to the issue of family separation – forced separation – due to our immigration politics.”

Family Reunions Project has reunited dozens of families in virtual reality, building tailored experiences for each person, even short tours through the streets of their Latin American hometowns. The 360 virtual reality experience (360 VRE) might not cure homesickness entirely, but Morales and Soberanis think it’s worthwhile to give people a connection back to where they came from.

“It’s tough, but it’s powerful,” says Morales.

Enterprise Application

What does this mean for use cases of VR in enterprise? We’ve already seen the immersive qualities of this technology leveraged for high risk training situations, but the above hints at a rising push into immersive social VR landscapes that have the potential to transform the conference call and daily work flow as we know it. Platforms like RUMII, the upcoming Wanda VR Spaces and industry veterans Alt Space and VR Chat show promise enabling businesses to explore and integrate today. What are your thoughts on how to best integrate the aspects of social VR within a business case? Please share other platforms or your experiences in the comments section below.