Staging collective VR experiences
Scalable — and therefore affordable — IX onboarding and social IX, as part of an optimal user experience, remain key challenges for the IX community. How can museums onboard visitors more effectively so that more of them can experience a functional IX? And how can they create a shared VR experience in the process? That's what the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences will be researching, together with a museum and an IX developer.
Involved organisations
More projects from CIIIC Start
Discover other projects within this funding scheme
Experience the future, embrace the change: The potential of IX to create and leverage teachable moments and improve lifestyle behaviors in osteoarthritis patients
A healthy lifestyle is crucial for many patients, but medical advice alone rarely leads to lasting behavioural change. Tilburg University is investigating whether immersive experiences can create and reinforce so-called teachable moments in osteoarthritis patients: moments in which a patient becomes acutely aware of the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle. Through IX, patients experience the long-term effects of their behaviour in an emotionally compelling way, sparking the motivation to live more healthily.
Enhancing Authentic Learning in Primary Care: Real-Time Immersive Experiences in Family Medicine Clerkships
Medical education also has high expectations of IX applications, especially given the staff shortages in healthcare. Students need IX to deliver a suitable and effective learning experience. That's why Maastricht University, together with two GP practices, is researching how IX can let students experience real patient consultations digitally and live.
ImmersiveValidMovement: Validatie van consumenten-XR voor verantwoorde fysiotherapie oefeningen
In physiotherapy, there is growing interest in using immersive experiences (IX), such as XR serious games, to motivate patients and help them perform exercises correctly. To this end, VerseUS Games has developed XR exercise formats that use the built-in sensors of consumer XR headsets (such as Meta Quest and Pico) to track patients' movements. However, it remains unclear how reliable and valid this data is for assessing clinically relevant joint angles, particularly in patients with complex shoulder complaints. ImmersiveValidMovement therefore focuses primarily on "new methodological approaches to measuring usability and effectiveness of IX". We are developing and validating methods to derive head, neck, shoulder and elbow movements from XR sensor data (headset and hand controllers) and to assess their reliability. We are not developing new IX software or hardware, but working with existing VerseUS games and consumer XR headsets. The focus is on measurement methods, analysis techniques and responsible use. In work package 1 (the first three months), we carry out the preparatory work. Together with physiotherapists (FlevoFysiotherapie), we specify which joint angles and variables are relevant for correctly performing the prescribed exercise (position, velocity, acceleration; within a global coordinate system and/or relative to body segments). VerseUS Games provides the XR environment and handles the technical work of exporting time-synchronised data collected from the headset. UMCG oversees the research protocol, arranges ethical approval, and provides the research labs needed to carry out the study. In work package 2, we then carry out the validation study, comparing the XR measurements against the gold standard (such as Vicon or Optotrak) available at UMCG. Reliability and validity are determined using methods including ICC, Bland–Altman plots, correlations and RMSE. Based on this research, UMCG will deliver a report on the validity and reliability of the VerseUS XR exercises, as measured by the sensors in commercial headsets. This report will form the basis for further development.
Van ethische dilemma’s naar toekomstdenken: immersieve technologie als katalysator voor inclusieve besluitvorming
Technological innovations bring urgent ethical questions with them. These questions call not only for judgements about what is desirable, but also for anticipating possible futures and the values at the heart of them. A key barrier to inclusive decision-making is the lack of future consciousness and ethical capacity. Many people struggle to imagine the implications of technology. Non-users in particular experience a knowledge gap and don't feel entitled to a voice in the conversation, even though they are the ones who bear the impact of that technology. This problem is compounded by the fact that the future of a technology is often shaped by a handful of companies with business models that fuel polarisation and digital dependency, while environmental impact and social costs are externalised. This increases the risk of one-sided decision-making. The project applies ethics-by-design by actively and inclusively involving city residents in exploring the ethical dilemmas raised by emerging technology. We treat social friction as a source of innovation and link technology development to values such as safety, power and inclusion. The research focuses on expanding people's capacity for imagination through two 'Moral Labs': 1 - A traditional presentation (image and text), followed by a discussion; 2 - An immersive presentation in Virtual Reality (VR), followed by a discussion. In both scenarios, multiple participants will discuss their positions and the moral dilemmas together. The VR intervention uses multiplayer functionality to create social presence. By running a moderated split test across these two scenarios, this research measures the effectiveness of an immersive experience against a traditional presentation. The richness of both conversations is analysed using Ahvenharju's (2018) five dimensions of future consciousness and the LIWC tool (Boyd, 2022). The results offer insight into how immersive technology can contribute to inclusive ethical dialogue and democratic decision-making.
Ethiek verbeelden: bruggen slaan tussen analoge en digitale immersieve ervaringen
This project explores how analogue and digital forms of immersive experiences can reinforce each other within an educational context. The central research question is how human interaction, empathy and ethics can be preserved when traditional role-play scenarios are enhanced with digital components. The project aims to develop an integrated model that makes optimal use of both the power of face-to-face role-play and the possibilities of digital immersion. The previously developed IX 'De Lifetimer' serves as a test case for an analogue immersive experience in which participants use physical aids, such as name tags and simple props. This setting emphasises closeness, spontaneity and emotional engagement. The workings and impact of these low-tech elements are systematically examined in terms of immersion, imaginative power and emotional response. In parallel, the project explores how similar effects can be achieved digitally, for example through visual effects or immersive audio. These digital approaches are tested and evaluated through proof-of-concepts. Ultimately, the project will develop a hybrid bridging model that meaningfully connects the analogue and digital IX worlds and encourages exchange between the two domains. The intended outcomes include: a theoretical framework for hybrid immersive learning experiences, a series of proof-of-concepts demonstrating practical applicability, and a growing network of analogue and digital creators. In doing so, the project makes a concrete contribution to the development of responsible, future-proof immersive experiences in educational settings.
Responsible Immersive Support for Firefighter Retreat under Unreliable Spatial and Communication Information
Firefighters retreating from a building operate under extreme time pressure, poor visibility and high mental strain - precisely when positioning and communication can become unreliable. The University of Twente is researching how immersive systems can make this uncertainty visible and understandable, so that digital cues support decision-making without creating false confidence or adding to the user's mental load.