Asobo Studio has announced a new partnership with Orbis International, a non-profit organization transforming lives through the treatment and prevention of avoidable blindness, to give flight simmers the chance to virtually explore the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital.
Orbis is making a profound impact on people’s lives in their fight against avoidable blindness; a large but solvable problem that affects millions of people around the world who don’t have access to eye care. According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, 43 million people are living with blindness and 295 million with moderate-to-severe vision loss, 77% of which is completely avoidable.
The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is a one-of-a-kind aircraft and an incredible feat of engineering. A converted MD-10 cargo aircraft, it’s now a fully accredited teaching hospital, equipped with a state-of-the-art operating room, laser treatment room, simulation centre, classroom and AV suite that conducts training programs across the globe.
Microsoft Flight Simulator users can tour the Flying Eye Hospital in full hospital mode with stunningly authentic detail and learn more about Orbis’s mission to train and inspire local teams to save sight in their communities by accessing the plane free-of-charge through an in-game news link or directly via Microsoft Flight Simulator Marketplace. The aircraft, however, is not currently available for flight.
The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital demonstrates how aviation can be a force for good in the world. Since their first-generation DC-8 took off in 1982, the Orbis aircraft has flown to 97 countries to carry out sight-saving programs. This third-generation MD-10 was donated by FedEx employees and launched in 2016.
The aviation sector pioneered simulation technology; now Orbis and the wider medical community are fast adopting it. Just as simulation has been teaching pilots to fly for decades, it is now helping doctors, anesthesiologists and nurses to save sight and improve patient care. On board the aircraft, Orbis uses simulation to teach and train eye care teams around the world – using virtual reality, artificial eyes and mannequins.
The Flying Eye Hospital is available as a free download to all Microsoft Flight Simulator users to tour on July 27. Visit orbis.org to learn more about their mission.
