Samsung Electronics, together with global healthcare company Abbott, is bringing immersive extended reality (XR) experiences to blood donation scenery, using Galaxy XR to make the process more comfortable and engaging for donors.
On June 2, Samsung and Abbott partnered with the Korean Red Cross to conduct Korea’s first XR-powered blood donation campaign at Samsung Digital City in Suwon. In the campaign held in recognition of World Blood Donor Day, Samsung employees experienced immersive meditation content while donating blood, with Korean Red Cross personnel on-site throughout the event.
Following the XR-powered blood donation campaign in Korea, Samsung and Abbott are preparing to expand the program through upcoming activations at major global events in the United States and Malaysia. These efforts aim to bring the Galaxy XR donation experience to more donors, healthcare professionals and blood bank stakeholders around the world.
Samsung employees use Galaxy XR while donating blood during the campaign at Samsung Digital City.
Enhancing the Blood Donation Experience
After putting on Galaxy XR, donors enter a calming, Zen garden-inspired environment. Using only gaze-based interaction — no controllers, no hand gestures — they plant virtual flower seeds simply by looking at them. Over three to five minutes, flowers and trees bloom around them as music created in collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays in the background.
“As the boundary between the physical and digital worlds continues to blur, blood donation no longer has to be a stressful experience,” said James Pak, VP of the Global Mobile B2B Team at Samsung Electronics. “Through this initiative, we hope to demonstrate how Galaxy XR can extend beyond entertainment and productivity to create lasting social value.”
“Samsung Galaxy XR, powered by Android XR, represents a significant advancement for our mixed reality blood donation program,” said Miguel Carrazza of the Transfusion Medicine division at Abbott. “It is well-suited for healthcare settings, allowing medical staff to monitor donors more easily while helping them stay naturally engaged. Through our partnership with Samsung, Abbott is seeking opportunities to further expand the overall blood donation experience.”
Expanding Access to XR-Powered Donation
Since 2016, Abbott and Red Cross organizations have conducted blood donation campaigns in nearly 30 countries. Building on that foundation, Samsung and Abbott have introduced Galaxy XR into donation settings across multiple countries, with momentum growing ahead of major upcoming events.
Samsung employees Geunwoo Park and Gangsu Kim participate in the blood donation campaign.
“I try to donate blood at least once a year, but it can feel a little boring since you have to sit still,” said Geunwoo Park of the Networks Business at Samsung Electronics, who donated during the campaign. “Using Galaxy XR made it more enjoyable because there was something engaging to watch.”
“It was a unique experience to try Galaxy XR while donating blood,” said Gangsu Kim of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, making his 20th blood donation. “I found the interactive content especially fascinating because it responded to where I was looking.”
Looking Ahead
The initiative continues to scale. At Augmented World Expo (AWE) in Long Beach, California, running June 15-18, Samsung and Abbott will host a four-day blood drive, bringing the Galaxy XR donation experience to thousands of attendees from across the XR ecosystem. Later in June, the initiative will be showcased at the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where more than 100 blood bank decision-makers from around the world will have the opportunity to share the use cases.
Through these engagements, Samsung and Abbott are working to expand access to XR-powered donation experiences for donors, healthcare professionals and blood bank organizations worldwide.
