Funded under: H2020-EU.2.1.1.

Grant agreement ID: 871803

Project Coordinator: UNIVERSITA CAMPUS BIO MEDICO DI ROMA

The EU-funded CONBOTS project will investigate a paradigm shift that promotes physical communication mediated by robots to enhance handwriting in children and music learning in beginner musicians. The project will apply innovative robotic technology, wearable sensors and machine learning algorithms to establish a physically interactive robotic platform that will connect humans to support the learning of complex sensorimotor tasks. The results of the project will advance the use of robotics in the education field.

From a parent coordinating movements to help a child learn to walk, to a violinist training a concerto, humans rely on physical interaction to learn from each other and from the environment. Building on a strongly multidisciplinary foundation with an integrated approach, CONBOTS proposes a paradigm shift that aims to augment handwriting and music learning through robotics, by creating a physically interacting robotic platform connecting humans in order to facilitate the learning of complex sensorimotor tasks.
The newly designed platform will combine four enabling technologies:

CONBOTS is building on recent neuroscientific findings that showed the benefits of physical interaction to performing motor tasks together, where the human central nervous system understands a partner motor control and can use it to improve task performance and motor learning.

This will be implemented on innovative robotic technology, wearable sensors and machine learning techniques to give rise to novel human-human and human-robot interaction paradigms applied in two different learning contexts:

Using its neuroscience-driven unifying approach to motor learning and physical communication CONBOTS will expand the impact and the application of robotics to the education industry.

To design a bi-directional user interface with Augmented Reality serious games, wearable sensors and instrumented objects for maximizing the impact of physical interaction in learning contexts (WP5). Description: This objective focuses on the design of novel bi-directional user interface to convey information to the user, through AR-based serious games, and from the user, collecting data from wearable sensors and instrumented objects. The application-driven serious games are specifically designed to exploit the capability of the CONBOTS platform to establish a physical communication between two users. Information from the users are captured by an easy-to-use, non-invasive wearable garment that embeds different kinds of physiological and motion sensors to: i) collect physiological parameters and estimate user’s mental and emotional state for adapting the engagement and the difficulty of the performed task; ii) track movements of the upper limbs for measuring user’s performance and control physical communication during human-human interaction. Moreover, a set of instrumented objects are designed to record how users interact with the environment during the manipulation of the tools necessary for the execution of tasks in the different application scenarios (e.g. instrumented pen or bow).

Source: CONBOTS Project Information

Augmented Reality Treasure Hunt campaign was created for Entropy Project so as to increase awareness about energy efficiency and stimulate more environmentally friendly behavior in people.

The project that encapsulates the gamification in learning is creating greater results than usually when the local community and different stakeholders participate not only in one city in Europe, but in three.

What is going to happen next is that the deployed mechanisms and frameworks will be validated and evaluated in real life conditions in three use cases based on publicly owned buildings, namely at: the Navacchio Technology Park close to Pisa in Italy, the technological park and university campus in University of Murcia in Spain and the Technopole in Sierre in Switzerland.

ENTROPY project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 649849.

The human brain has the power of a supercomputer indeed. Gamification provides experiential learning, where the possibility for the retention of information is highest and there are various incentive mechanisms in the game design that are tailor-made to user profiles and motivation, such as rewards/vouchers, points,  badges,  scoreboard .

Apart from questions that user gets throughout the game, Augmented Reality is employed which forces players to activly participate by seraching for the clues around the building. The player scans the image on the wall which represents the clue.

When it comes to AR Treasure Hunt functionalities, apart from the aforementioned gamification mechanisms, there are specific tasks, based on real time sensor data. These tasks and challenges are sent to players to engage with them in an energy efficient related action.

This is one of the most fundamental postulates to changing human behavior for the better, guide people through the experience, provide them with the opportunity to test, iterate and validate, move beyond the theory towards the practicality of this process so that people see what they do in the simulation can be applied to the real life.

The player has the opportunity to receive recommendations which should incite them to perform certain tasks that will lead to energy conservation. There are general recommendations in which users  receive a practical tip/advice how to save the energy  and also there are real time sensor based recommendations which include the specific actions/tasks sent to players to engage them in an energy efficient related action at player’s  location.

As a result, completed actions/tasks are either validated by sensor measurements or confirmed by the player, and these actions are awarded by appropriate badges.

Another important functionality is the visualization of real time sensor measurements at player’s location (area, sub-area, room).

The first Campaign Run will be completed by 22nd of December 2017, and our intention as the creators is that the players will enjoy the game and learn about different ways to conserve the energy, and how every little matters in our joint effort to preserve the resources and the environment in which we live for future generations.

Bear in mind that different Treasure Hunt type of games can be created for the purposes of your type of business and industry. The content of the Treasure Hunt game can be adjusted to fit client’s particular needs in verticals such as education, tourism, marketing, and entertainment.

We would be delighted to hear your story, what goals you want to accomplish in 2018 and how Augmented Reality and gamification can be of use to you.

Please get in touch to find out more!

How was 2017 for ARVRtech? Plenty of amazing apps, solutions and memories.

Here is our retrospective so discover with us the ultimate 2017 ARVRtech highlights as we look at three main pieces of information: our clients and solutions, our resources and our community.

VR games turned out to be very popular among our clients in Marketing as they added an element of interactive, engaging and immersive content.

For instance, VR Football Game provides immersive experience to the players, placing them in a spirit of upcoming 2018 World Cup. In VR Football you can take in a real stadium atmosphere, enjoy the game from a Goalkeeper’s perspective as well as from the eyes of a Player, surrounded and cheered on by the supporters.

VR Hopa Games, were developed for Samsung Gear VR provide fun and immersive experience increasing brand awareness and providing an opportunity to present products to new and existing clients.

VR Enterprise Training and Education is capturing the VR market at great pace. LafargeHolcim is a global company which is highly focused on training and safety of its employees. ARVRtech provided the training material for the employees about the safety aspects of work at heights through VR in a realistic 3D world, highlighting all safety critical issues. In addition, the VR presentation of Lafarge Holcim, enabled both employees and public/clients to get acquainted with various processes and products increasing the level of their engagement and knowledge.

Another extraordinary project was Entropy, which was delivered in a consortium of ARVRTech and several other universities and businesses under the auspices of European Commission. The project was focused on energy efficient lifestyles in three domains: Internet of Things (IoT), Advanced Data Modelling and Analysis, as well as Recommendation and Gamification.

Therefore, we created an Augmented Reality Treasure Hunt solution that enabled the change of user behavior through series of questions, adventures and hints as players not only have fun but also adopt more energy efficient lifestyle.

Still AR Treasure Hunt did not just turn out to be an extraordinary solution in Entropy; it helped many brands across different industries who became our clients to gamify their experience. This game literally tells the story of the products and services step-by-step on a user journey.

The strong continuation of what we are doing with AR Treasure Hunt can be seen in the new AR and VR application for one outstanding museum. People can educate themselves better and interact with the content presented in the intriguing way as they embraced new technologies and visualize content through the latest technology medium.

Stay tuned for the latest information about this Museum application and remain curious.

The highlight of the year and long-awaited reward for our work reached us in December 2017 when we received funding from Innovation Fund in Serbia. Thanks to this funding we will continue developing the prototype for AI based VR platform for education and enterprise training called Immersive4Learning.

Our VR development lab got extended with awesome gadgets and head mounted displays as more clients want their solutions developed on various headsets and platforms. Thus, in our VR headset collection, when you visit us you may find Microsoft Hololens and Google Tango on Lenovo Smart phone apart from Smart Gear VR and HTC Vive.

Like previous years ARVRtech team has decided to engage more with its clients, as well as current and potential partners online, on trade shows, expert conferences and in VR/AR associations.

Therefore, we would like to highlight the participation of our founder Boris Pokric on Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara where he presented Immersive4Marketing platform to potential partners and other ARVRtech solutions.

Also, our company became the member of VRARA, the world-class VR/AR Association where we have a great opportunity and privilege to share expertise on implementation of VR and AR in education sector, as one of verticals where our passion lies. ARVRtech founder Boris Pokric will give a seminar on the role of AR and VR in innovative and immersive learning, which you can follow in January 2018.

Apart from working with the international clients at fairs, consultancy visits, and in online capacities, our company participated in the international accelerator program Start Alliance in Berlin. Together with disruptive, innovative companies from the UK, Germany, Israel and the US, our company tested the international waters of entrepreneurship and disruptive innovation on Berlin and German market.

In 2018 ARVRtech will continue its growth to become a team of dozen expert people with even stronger and specialized expertise, as well as to work with more outstanding, demanding and innovative clients.

We will be present on more international trade shows and conferences, while we also keep building the prototype for Immersive4Learning platform. Education and creating solutions that uplift our world will be ARVRtech’s focus in 2018, as well.

Feel free to contact us with a project suggestion or question.

There is a bright future ahead of us, judging by the integration of technology and healthcare. According to a Lancet study at this moment 5 billion people world-wide do not have access to affordable and safe surgery.

Although providing the universal healthcare is such a complex goal to reach and it is listed on 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the advanced technology brings back hope and transforms the complex sector of healing people.

Touchstone research has identified in its infographic four use cases of healthcare in Virtual and Augmented Reality such as diagnostics and planning, training (for surgery, dentistry interventions and simulations), treatment (in the fields of autism, phobia, and PTSD, pain management, addictions) and rehabilitation (such as stroke and dementia).

There are several main benefits of VR and AR in healthcare: it provides medical help in remote locations via telesurgery; it is more immersive and engaging so that it leads to real time simulation and feedback; and finally such technology may decrease costs of healthcare in total while remaining both safe and secure for doctors and patients.

This vast landscape of healthcare solutions can be roughly defined along these main opportunities: more experienced doctors and those still in education can get connected via reliable tools; particular health challenges of patients can be solved; and patients in remote areas can get reliable, timely and cost-effective help.

For example, Shafi Ahmed founded Medical Realities as he understood the importance of AR and wearables in medical education. He performed live operations for 14,000 students in 32 countries thanks to remote Google Glass broadcast.

Mr Ahmed is aware that with this experiential technology, the future surgeons learn much more rapidly and have a strong motivation.

‘‘2.2 million surgeons, aestheticians, and obstetricians are needed to perform 143 million operations.’’ Essentially, the methodology behind Google Glass is that the remote surgeon could guide the surgeon on site who is wearing the Glass by projecting his hands into the display of that surgeon.

Not only do students of anatomy need to learn the mechanics of human body, this can be a pursuit for enthusiasts in medicine, not only future doctors. Thanks to augmented reality the knowledge that was initially acquired gets retrieved for a longer period of time.

ARnatomy is one of those awesome apps that encourage learning. Thanks to AR technology additional information is given over flash cards, charts and textbooks. There is even a bone box for users to learn particular facts about our body.

Often times prevention is better than treatment, while technology helps patients understand how their behavior leaves long-term effects on their health. Getting this awareness right may be the first step to motivate people in making positive changes.

EyeDecide is a unique medical app which simulates the specific conditions on a person’s vision thanks to a display that tracks certain parameters. As a result, it can help better patients who suffer from specific medical conditions.

Google also aims to make a revolution in producing digital, multi-sensor lenses. Apart from transforming the eyesight for visually impaired patients or turning a page in an e-book with features of augmented reality, digital contact lenses would be able to revolutionize diabetes treatments. Thanks to multi-sensor lenses, blood sugar levels can be measured.

This feature of AR and VR brings us back to the beginning of our text: how do we ensure that people in need who lack resources obtain the healthcare treatments and save their life.

In the future hardware will become more affordable, health-related content will become a mainstream and solutions that are being tested in the labs at the moment will become our reality.

Futurists also predict that insurance companies may get hold of the patients’ data while consumer products will be oriented towards telemedicine. Let us remain patient, seize the innovation and top trends and harness the future potential.

If you are interested to see what healthcare solutions ARVRtech can create for you, feel free to contact us.