RAD VR
Space to
Prepare

For a child preparing for CT or radiation therapy, understanding what will happen is only part of the challenge.

It can be difficult to imagine what it will feel like to enter an unfamiliar treatment room, lie beneath a large machine and remain completely still while a procedure takes place.

RAD VR: Space to Prepare was created to reduce those unknowns — giving children the opportunity to experience key parts of the treatment journey before their real appointment begins.

Rather than presenting the experience as a clinical simulation, we transformed the treatment journey into an approachable, space-themed adventure.

Children move through the different stages of treatment, from arriving at Peter Mac and exploring the CT room to experiencing the scan process and preparing for radiation therapy.

Each stage builds familiarity with what comes next, creating a clear sense of progression towards becoming Radiation Ready.

At the centre of the experience is Luno, a robot companion created specifically to guide children through the journey.

Luno needed to do more than deliver information. His character had to feel approachable and reassuring while remaining clear enough to guide children through unfamiliar environments and procedures.

From early character exploration through to modelling, animation, voice and personality, each part of Luno was developed to create a consistent presence throughout the experience.

He introduces new environments, explains what is happening and celebrates progress, helping transform a medical process into a story children can follow one step at a time.

A video can show a child what a treatment room looks like. Virtual reality can place them inside it.

RAD VR allows children to experience the scale of the environment, understand where equipment will be positioned and rehearse key parts of the procedure from their own point of view.

Clinical and research input informed the environments and treatment journey, helping ensure the experience remained accurate while still feeling approachable and reassuring.

This sense of presence turns preparation from something children are told about into something they can actively experience.

The journey continues through the Radiation Ready activities, where children practise skills they may need during treatment.

Activities focused on stillness, breathing, listening, focus and imagination turn important treatment behaviours into simple, achievable challenges.

Positive feedback and collectible badges make progress visible and give each completed activity a sense of achievement without making children feel as though they are being tested.

Immersive storytelling, interaction and play work together to make preparation more engaging, understandable and memorable.

RAD VR explores how immersive technology can help children approach radiation therapy with greater familiarity, understanding and confidence.

By allowing them to experience the treatment environment, understand what will happen and practise important skills before their appointment, the experience helps remove some of the uncertainty surrounding an unfamiliar medical process.

It does not simply tell children what is coming. It gives them the opportunity to experience and practise it first.