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, 2026, 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. The campaign was held in recognition of World Blood Donor Day, in which 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.

▲ (From left) 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 grow. At the Augmented World Expo (AWE) in Long Beach, California, running June 15–18, 2026, 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 experience.

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.

What once seemed like science fiction has become a reality as eXtended reality (XR) transforms how we engage with the world around us.

XR is an umbrella term for technologies that use digital elements to extend or alter reality by merging the physical and digital worlds together. This includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) as well as other similar technologies yet to be developed. XR offers infinite possibilities, creating a dynamic spatial canvas where users’ sight, sound and motion combine to interact with the outside world. A world that will unlock unprecedented experiences across core areas of life, from working and learning to entertainment, gaming and even health and wellness.

We have always placed the user experience at the core of our innovation. It is our responsibility to bring the best possible technology and experience to our users, and we demonstrated this commitment by introducing and democratizing Galaxy AI. Grounded in mobile AI leadership, we truly believe now is the time to unlock the potential of XR. With the power of multimodal technology, our XR enables the most natural and intuitive interactions with the world. Supported by the broader Galaxy ecosystem, this technology will empower and transform your everyday life – in a way that only we can deliver.

We are also making our vision a reality through open collaboration with industry leaders like Google and Qualcomm, culminating in the creation of an entirely new Android XR platform. For many years, we have worked side-by-side with partners, designing, integrating, and optimizing technology — and this next project is one of our most ambitious endeavors yet.

By uniting forward-thinking ideas with industry-leading expertise, we can ensure a robust and scalable platform that offers a wide range of content. From the Galaxy ecosystem and Google’s suite of apps to partnership with third-party developers, every XR interaction will be incredibly enriched.

Available for both headsets and glasses, this new platform leverages the power of Gemini by bringing together a conversational user interface (UI) and a contextual understanding of the world around you. It offers cutting-edge capabilities beyond gestures or a controller, utilizing voice and natural conversation to elevate the experience. With these accurate, personalized interactions, the platform will be your helpful AI assistant.

Code named “Project Moohan”, the first headset designed for Android XR is poised to bring this experience to life in the near future. The name “Moohan”, meaning ‘infinity’ in Korean, connotes our belief in delivering unparalleled, immersive experiences within an infinite space. Equipped with state-of-the-art displays, Passthrough capabilities and natural multi-modal input, this headset will be your spatial canvas to explore the world through Google Maps, enjoy a sports match on YouTube, or plan trips with the help of Gemini. All these experiences come with lightweight, ergonomically optimized hardware designed to ensure maximum comfort during use.

“XR has quickly shifted from a distant promise to a tangible reality. We believe it has the potential to unlock new and meaningful ways to interact with the world by truly resonating with your everyday lives, transcending physical boundaries,” said Won-Joon Choi, EVP and Head of R&D, Mobile eXperience Business. “We are excited to collaborate with Google to reshape the future of XR, taking our first step towards it with Project Moohan.”

“We are at an inflection point for the XR, where breakthroughs in multimodal AI enable natural and intuitive ways to use technology in your everyday life”, said Sameer Samat, President of Android Ecosystem, Google. “We’re thrilled to partner with Samsung to build a new ecosystem with Android XR, transforming computing for everyone on next-generation devices like headsets, glasses and beyond.”

The possibilities of XR are infinite – and we’re only getting started.