Indra, Fundación Universia and U-tad Centro Universitario de Tecnología y Arte Digital recently signed a collaboration agreement to create a Research Chair in Accessible Technologies, and the first project has just been launched. CicerOn: VR Speech Coach, an app based on immersive virtual reality techniques, will enable people with Asperger syndrome to practice interacting with other people and speaking in public about different topics.
Thanks to its immersive capacity, virtual reality can be used for rehabilitation purposes in the case of different phobias and disorders like Asperger syndrome, a neurobiological disorder in the autism spectrum whose sufferers exhibit deficiencies in social, behavioral and communication skills. The CicerOn project, which is being developed by U-tad researchers, academics and students, will make it possible to practice public speaking and will therefore help these people to control the fear, anxiety, phobia or distaste caused by these situations, to adapt to them and, as a result, to improve both their educational and professional performance.
The application will enable users to interact with virtual avatars using gamification techniques, i.e. game dynamics in non-game environments. The difficulty gradually increases from one level to the next as interactions, interruptions, noises, etc. are incorporated, allowing users to improve their presentations and contact and communication with the audience.
To facilitate use of the solution, it is compatible with stereoscopic vision glasses and an accessible alternative smartphone that is not only low-cost but easy to install, which means that users can practice with the virtual trainer in their own home. Alternatively, the solution can be used with a much more sophisticated virtual reality device that creates a more immersive and realistic virtual environment accessed with a video console controller. This second option helps users forget they are utilizing a therapeutic training system because the environment is much more familiar, having more in common with a video game experience.
A project with a philosophy by and for them
As a multidisciplinary project, the levels and modules will be defined by a team made up of experts from different fields: researchers in virtual reality, gamification, artificial intelligence, communication, oratory, visual design and animation, who will cover the technical side of the development, plus specialized psychologists and educators. The project leader is Dr. Laura Raya of U-tad.
In order to determine the therapeutic value, viability and real impact of CicerOn, the Asperger associations in Spain will be involved in the project, providing guidance and advice on interaction with people affected by this syndrome and their social development, which will be vital for ensuring the optimal design and implementation of the system. Students with disabilities, as members of the U-tad university community, will also be encouraged to participate in certain phases of the project, not only as subjects in the requirements definition and validation processes but also as actual developers.
Thanks to its capacity as a virtual reality trainer, CicerOn may also be used by people with little experience in public speaking and debating who want to improve their communication skills both in the university environment, where the Bologna Process places great importance on presentations, and in the workplace.