Aiedu Oy – AI-enhanced virtual reality (VR) therapy for children

Challenge: Porto: How can AI support the therapeutic needs of children?

Target Group: Children and youth, People with Disabilities

The VR for Children Therapy pilot developed an interactive virtual reality game aimed at promoting healthy eating habits among children. Built using Unity and deployed on Meta Quest devices, the game simulates a dining room environment where children interact with food items using utensils, facilitating experiential learning.

Co-creation activities with APPC (Porto Association for Cerebral Paralysis) involved workshops with children, parents, and therapists to refine gameplay mechanics and enhance accessibility. 10 people were involved, with 2 being considered representative of the target group. Evaluation showed increased engagement and improved understanding of utensil use alongside healthy food literacy. Feedback highlighted the need for varied hand-tracking options and a broader selection of food items, which are currently being integrated.

Next steps focus on iterative design improvements and further testing to prepare the solution for wider deployment.