The FORDYS-VAR Project, contract no. 2018-1-ES01-KA201-050659, Co-funded by the ERASMUS+ Program of the European Commission.

The Association for Dyslexic Children Bucharest is a non-governmental organization in Romania, established in 1994 by a group of parents in Bucharest who faced issues related to the education of their children in both the state and private educational systems. The need of these parents to provide their children with a real chance of learning and development, so they could benefit from a normal life, led to the establishment of this association. Since its inception, the association has been engaged in activities of social, civil, cultural, educational, training, and information assistance and solidarity related to dyslexia issues.

Website: fordysvar.eu

Starting from 2018, the Association has implemented the FORDYS-VAR project, funded by the ERASMUS+ Program, in partnership with the University of Burgos, with project activities implemented in 3 European countries: Italy, Romania, and Spain. The main objective of FORDYS-VAR was to provide an opportunity to improve learning for individuals with dyslexia through technology, particularly virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The introduction of these technologies into the assessment and intervention process can become a key element in improving learning effectiveness and enhancing their training experience.

Within the project, one of the outcomes achieved was the creation of a set of tools, including software for integrating VR and AR into educational and pedagogical environments for schoolchildren with dyslexia. Using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology, information can be presented through multimedia elements (audio, text, images, or videos), stored and transferred, allowing the combination and transformation of different environments. This is significantly beneficial for addressing the individual needs of students and contributes to dyslexia treatment to facilitate intervention in specific reading and writing learning disorders.

These two applications have been created, one using Virtual Reality (VR) and the other using Augmented Reality (AR), these technologies including immersion, presence, interaction, transduction, and conceptual change, while also being safe and flexible tools that provide the opportunity to offer a multisensory approach.

• The Virtual Reality for Language Learning (VR4ALL) Project,
  Contract 2019-1-HR01-KA204-060781
  Co-funded by the ERASMUS+ Program of the European CommissionThe Virtual Reality for Language Learning (VR4LL) Project was conducted by English Kids Academy (EKA), in partnership with IH Split (Croatia), IH Sofia (Bulgaria), and IT experts from Spain. VR4LL aimed to enhance the foreign language learning experience through innovative VR technology, develop foreign language communication skills, and strengthen the digital competencies of foreign language teachers.

  Through a series of intellectual outputs (deliverables), the project developed a range of virtual worlds, filled with linguistic themes, providing learners with a fully immersive experience. Experiential learning is based on the idea that we learn and retain something much better when we do it ourselves. Or, through total immersion in the virtual reality where specific tasks must be accomplished, children and young people feel 100% engaged in learning.

  The benefits are threefold:

  • Cognitively, the level of memorization and knowledge acquisition is higher (because we do, we engage, not just observe);
  • Performance-wise, the degree of active use of the English language is higher (a 100% English-speaking reality, interaction/action exclusively in English);

  Emotionally, learning the English language is associated with positive feelings (enthusiasm, pleasure, joy).

  • The project aimed for immersive, experiential learning of the English language using innovative VR technology by completing tasks in four virtual worlds: an international space station, a glacial world, a deserted island, and ancient Rome:
    • Virtual World 1 – an international space station orbiting the Earth, with breathtaking views of our beautiful planet and the stars beyond. The space station is divided into several different rooms, each accessible through an electronic door: Video Link
    • Virtual World 2 – a remote tropical island, uninhibited. The idea was to create a visually appealing and colorful world that encourages exploration. Like any true island, it is surrounded by a vast body of water on all sides, offering clear blue skies, palm trees, and mysterious caves. The original idea for this world was to host tasks that would bear the closest resemblance to escape room activities. Both tasks created through the VR4LL projects were developed as escape room scenarios: Video Link
    • Virtual World 3 – Virtual World 3 is an adventure into the world of ancient Romans. The user is immersed in the heart of the Roman Empire, with impressive architecture, amphitheater entertainment, and political intrigues. The Roman city is divided into several sections, including a courtyard, a marketplace, a temple, and even a colosseum with underground dungeons: Video Link
    • Virtual World 4 – Virtual World 4 was created as a challenge to generate more environmentally friendly spaces, understanding that the planet’s resources are depleting. The world itself presents a wide variety of pre-task opportunities and discussion topics. As students begin their journey surrounded by trees and snow, they must locate the cabin using the positioning of the sun: Video Link

  Additionally, as part of the project, training was conducted with teachers from partner institutions, who acquired the following skills and competencies: safety issues and procedures in using VR, VR models in education, VR in hybrid and online teaching, practical experience with the VR4LL developed content.

  WEBSITES:

  • https://ih.ro/proiecte-erasmus/
  • https://vr4ll.com/#into output
  • https://englezacopii.ro/mai-mult-decat-engleza/proiecte-erasmus/proiecte-erasmus-vr4ll/

HAND Physics Lab

Hand Physics Lab is an experimental project created and developed by Dennys Kuhnert and crafted at Holonautic Studio. Using only their hands, the user can explore the unique universe of the physics laboratory, where they will need to complete a variety of tasks and puzzles. The user will go through over 80 puzzles and different experiences to unlock more playgrounds, where they will have complete freedom to draw, build, and play. Examples of experiences that the Hand Physics Lab user can encounter include finger-painting eggs, building cubic towers, using magnets and telekinesis, shaking hands with a user clone, stroking a virtual cat, and much more. This game requires a VR headset to play.

WEBSITE: sidequestvr.com/app/750/hand-physics-lab

H.O.L.O.CEPTION

DESCRIPTION: H.O.L.O.CEPTION introduces a unique way to interact in VR. This game explores the extraordinary capabilities of the brain to project itself into another entity and still manage to feel fully immersed. It’s amazing how quickly the brain’s proprioception can adapt and make controls feel natural. The player embodies and controls a small character in front of them. Using cutting-edge IK techniques, the positions of the head and hands accurately reproduce the player’s posture, but from a third-person perspective. This allows for full use of constraints and ragdoll collisions for realistic interactions, using physics. The current gameplay mode is an arena-style combat simulator, inspired by highly popular action scenes from movies.

WEBSITE: www.holonautic.com/holoception

Marco & Polo Go Round

Marco & Polo Go Round is an absurd and surreal love story in virtual reality. A couple faces challenges in their relationship as gravity turns upside down and their world literally collapses around them. The project showcases multiple innovative approaches and technologies in real-time, including volumetric capture of actors, motion capture, as well as physical and fluid simulations. The artistic direction, partly inspired by the style of artist David Hockney, required colossal work in modeling and textures, making viewers feel as if they are inside a three-dimensional, living painting.

WEBSITE: dpt.co/en/projects/marco-polo-go-round/

CREATE ARTWORKS

Artivive is a revolutionary tool that transforms the way you look at art. Artists can connect a digital layer to traditional artworks, which you can experience through this application. Simply point your phone at the artwork and watch it come to life. The intuitive app uses augmented reality to reach new dimensions, allowing the user to connect with art on a deeper level.

Artivive is an easy-to-use augmented reality tool for art. This new technology enables artists to create new dimensions of art by bridging classic and digital art. This new world of possibilities can be unlocked by any smartphone or tablet, providing an extended emotional experience. Augmented reality helps artists transcend the canvas and harness the power of storytelling to create a more interactive and enhanced experience for the viewer.

It is an easy-to-use and accessible tool for creating augmented reality art. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, Artivive is designed for all users, regardless of artistic level.

WEBSITE: artivive.com/

Tilt Brush

Tilt Brush is a room-scale 3D painting virtual reality application, available from Google, initially developed by Skillman & Hackett. The tilt brush allows the user to paint in 3D space using virtual reality.

Open Source Tilt Brush

Tilt Brush, Google’s virtual reality painting application, has collaborated with amazing creators over the years, many of whom have been part of the Artist in Residence program.

Tilt Brush launched on the SteamVR platform for HTC Vive VR headsets in April 2016. It continued to help users create their artworks on every major VR platform, including Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, Valve Index, PlayStation VR, and Oculus Quest VR. Tilt Brush has won dozens of awards, including the Unity Awards 2015: Best VR Experience, the Gold Lion for Innovation at Cannes Lions 2017, and the Oculus Quest award for Best of 2019: VR Creativity Tool of the Year, and has been frequently featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Tilt Brush allows users to paint in 3D space using virtual reality, unleashing creativity with three-dimensional brush strokes, stars, light, and even fire.

WEBSITE: www.tiltbrush.com/

HUMAN ANATOMY in VR

Virtual Medicine has created the most advanced, award-winning medical anatomy platform spanning virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and augmented reality (AR) for medical education. Human Anatomy VR is the only product on the market that offers a complete VR anatomical atlas combined with an advanced 3D VR DICOM viewer.

Human Anatomy VR is the world’s first portable virtual anatomy platform. Over six years of development by multidisciplinary teams of physicians, artists, designers, programmers, and extensive collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University, Bratislava, have brought about a remarkable opportunity for immersive learning.

Institutions utilizing the virtual medicine platform enjoy financial benefits by reducing operating costs for wet anatomy lab expenses. Another benefit is the ability to conduct remote multi-user lessons.

Using mobile devices and tablets or VR headsets, this powerful technology allows for the augmentation or replacement of students’ time in a cadaver dissection room. The available enterprise license enables a shared VR experience between an instructor and authorized participants/students in a socially distanced format.

This is the only company in the world offering a virtual classroom for post-secondary and medical schools. The carefully curated content is tailored to the school curriculum in five different languages. Its main objective is to make anatomy classes more engaging for high school or college students and stand out as an innovative school.

With the Multi-User collaboration mode, students can simultaneously view over 5,000 accurately modeled anatomical structures, with accompanying descriptions.

Human Anatomy VR is the most advanced product to date and can be implemented at universities to teach anatomy. The Multi-User collaboration mode provides a complete 3D VR anatomical atlas combined with the 3D VR DICOM viewer, connecting students and giving them the best chance of success through real-time experience exchange and the use of advanced features.

The virtual anatomy classroom includes the Human Anatomy VR app for VR devices and the AR Anatomy mobile app supporting augmented reality for smartphones and tablets.

WEBSITE:  www.medicinevirtual.com/

as a development tool. Education through virtual reality, learning process.

3D Organon is a medical education platform for teaching and learning anatomy in virtual reality, desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. 3D Organon VR Anatomy, the flagship solution of 3D Organon, is the world’s first complete VR anatomy software. With a multitude of lifelike anatomy models in immersive environments and an extensive knowledge base of anatomical definitions translated into 16 languages, it transforms the challenging subject of medical anatomy into practical knowledge easily applicable to clinical practice worldwide. The 3D Organon software includes over 12,000 anatomical structures from 15 body systems, presenting new features such as DICOM Viewer, Hand Tracking, VR Web Search, Lounge Area, 3D Organon Medverse, Ultrasound VR Simulator, images, refactored body actions, microscopic models, and a variety of VR environments, among others.

The enhanced multi-user VR module provides shared anatomy learning experiences where students can interact in the same virtual space. Users can communicate with their tutors and peers in real-time through voice chat and messaging as they zoom into structures of interest and observe and manipulate 3D models from different viewpoints. This system supports various training scenarios, from small learning groups to classroom-sized education, where students and teachers can engage in virtual reality.

EDUTECH VR

Activities can take place in schools and afterschool programs, and the company provides experiences with all-in-one virtual reality kits REDBOX VR specifically designed for educational use – distant places around the globe, outer space, or the human body, all without leaving the classroom.

WEBSITE: vrbrasov.com/edutech-vr/