"Give us a novel way to fire up the debate around 'depression' with healthcare professionals"
For VideoFactory and a leading pharmaceutical company, Soulmade developed a custom real-time video filter designed to raise awareness about the symptoms and impact of depression.
Installed at international healthcare exhibitions, the installation invites visitors to stand before a large monitor equipped with a camera. On screen, they see themselves, but subtly transformed: their expression altered to reflect the facial cues of sadness and fatigue often associated with depression.
Built on advanced real-time facial tracking and emotion mapping, the filter mimics the natural micro-expressions of a depressed mood, without exaggeration or distortion. The effect is immediate and deeply human: a moment of quiet reflection that bridges technology and emotion.
Behind the scenes, we designed a custom AI-driven facial deformation engine, optimized to process live video streams with zero perceptible delay. The experience is hosted online, allowing easy deployment across multiple events and locations while maintaining high performance and reliability.
The goal was not entertainment, but empathy. By “seeing themselves” through the lens of depression, visitors are prompted to reflect on how invisible yet powerful the condition can be and to start conversations about mental health in a sensitive, personal way.
No data is stored. The experience is entirely anonymous and real-time, existing only in the moment between viewer and reflection.
For us, this project is a perfect example of how interactive technology can amplify emotional awareness using the same tools that entertain us on social media to instead educate, move, and connect.
That’s usually the best moment to talk.
We help organizations explore how XR, AI and immersive tech can solve real problems.
Explore real-world XR & AI cases
• 8 real projects
• Transparent price breakdown
• No fluff
