About Koen
Koen van Santvoort is a local artist who, a few years ago, experienced an accident that left him with severe brain damage, affecting his mobility and his ability to create art.
Together with Bart van Santvoort, Koen’s brother, we’re helping Koen reconnect with his art. Using both hardware and software, we’re giving him access to his favorite tools to create again, with the ultimate goal of him holding his own (virtual) show.
First Contact
Bart, Koen’s brother, got in touch with me through Albert van Abbe, a mutual friend. Knowing I was working on a Vision Pro app (Odio for visionOS), they thought it might be an option to help Koen make art again.
The idea instantly resonated with me; this was the kind of project I could really dive into, something with purpose—helping someone express their creativity again. We sat down to discuss Koen’s current abilities and brainstormed an approach that would both challenge and fit within his creative flow.
Koen’s First Session with Vision Pro
As with anything related to Vision Pro, we’re treading new ground. The hardware and software are fresh, so we’re figuring things out step-by-step.
With that in mind, our first move was simply to let Koen try out the Vision Pro to see where it could take us.
Thanks to the kind folks at Unbeatable Software, who lent us a Vision Pro for this initial session, we were able to explore if Koen could interact with the device right away.
One of the first obstacles we hit was the hand and eye tracking calibration. Due to Koen’s limited fine motor skills, it took several attempts before he was able to “pass” the calibration. Koen has restricted hand mobility and sometimes makes involuntary movements, which the Vision Pro registers as “clicks.”
Our solution so far is for Koen to use a controller for hand input. Microsoft has several accessible controllers, and an even more promising new model is set to launch early next year.
For now, we’ll work with a standard Xbox controller. Interestingly, the Vision Pro’s calibration process currently requires hand use, so it would be wonderful if future updates could allow calibration using just eye movement and a controller for those with similar accessibility needs.
Documenting Koen’s Creative Process
After our initial trials with Vision Pro, we’re now focused on documenting Koen’s creative flow, which will help us identify where special software or hardware might be required. From capturing and editing photos, to manipulating them in Blender, to 3D printing and projection work—we’re mapping out each step of his process.
We’re taking things one small step at a time, but each step brings new promise.
