May I ask you a question? A large-scale experiment examining the effectiveness of a multimodal, conversational digital dietitian on nutritional knowledge in virtual reality
Dietitians play a key role in health care, but a shortage of well-trained professionals is looming. Wageningen University & Research is therefore exploring an immersive digital dietitian: in VR, patients learn about portions, energy density and food preparation by preparing virtual meals themselves. The central question is whether the virtual dietitian's conversational abilities and non-verbal communication - asking questions, gestures, facial expressions - further strengthen the learning effect.
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Gedeelde inzichten in interactionele en impactvolle XR
XR learning environments - such as VR simulations and interactive training scenarios - are increasingly used in health care, communication, safety and public services. They help professionals practise difficult conversations, analyse complex situations and experiment safely with new behaviour. Despite this growth, it is not yet sufficiently clear which didactic and design choices make these environments effective, inclusive and responsible. The project Gedeelde inzichten in interactionele en impactvolle XR investigates how immersive learning environments can be designed to support learning, reflection and meaningful professional practice. The focus is not on the technology, but on the experience of users: how they navigate, interpret, process feedback and gain insight into digital decision-making processes. Together with XR creators and partners from the health care and public sectors, we analyse existing applications - such as VR-Gedeelde Smart and the BEP environments - and gather experiences from designers, health care professionals, communication advisers and environmental analysts. We build on existing, long-used XR learning environments and a proven collaboration, so that we do not need to develop new technology and can devote resources fully to research, analysis and validation. By linking their practical knowledge to insights from conversation analysis, user experience design, adoption theories and smart education, we develop and validate a set of generic design and didactic principles for effective and responsible XR learning environments. These principles address, among other things, clarity, interaction, reflection, accessibility and value-conscious design. The results yield scalable knowledge for the broad XR sector: from design studios and public organisations to educators working with immersive technology. In doing so, the project contributes to a more responsible and inclusive use of XR in society and offers concrete tools for digital decision-making and complex communication.
ImmersiveValidMovement: Validatie van consumenten-XR voor verantwoorde fysiotherapie oefeningen
In physiotherapy, there is a wish to use immersive experiences (IX) such as XR serious games both to motivate patients and to 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 record patients' movements. However, it is unclear to what extent these data are reliable and valid enough to assess 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 develop and validate methods to derive movements of the head, neck, shoulder and elbow from XR sensor data (headset and hand controllers) and to assess their reliability. We do not develop new IX software or hardware, but work with existing VerseUS games and consumer XR headsets. The emphasis 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 matter for correctly performing the prescribed exercise (position, speed, acceleration; in a global coordinate system and/or relative to body segments). VerseUS Games provides the XR environment and does the technical work to export the data collection from the headset in time-synchronised form. UMCG provides the research protocol, arranges ethical approval and has the research labs required to conduct the study. In work package 2 we then carry out the validation study, in which the XR measurements are compared with the gold standard (for example Vicon or Optotrak) available at UMCG. Reliability and validity are determined using, among other things, 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 the commercial headsets. This provides the basis for further development.
GausScape: Evaluating 3D Gaussian Splatting for Spatial Understanding in Greenhouse Environments
In greenhouse horticulture, operators have to monitor optimal growing conditions for crops. Together with two SMEs, Wageningen University & Research (WUR) focuses on the question: what desirable and undesirable effects does a specific 3D technique (Gaussian Splatting) have on operators' work process, perception and decision-making, as opposed to the current technique? In addition, the insights from this research may be relevant to other sectors.
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 a doctor's advice alone rarely leads to lasting behaviour change. Tilburg University is investigating whether immersive experiences can create and reinforce so-called teachable moments in osteoarthritis patients: moments in which a patient vividly realises the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle. In IX, patients experience the long-term consequences of their behaviour in an emotionally resonant way, as a driver of motivation to live more healthily.