Experimental Studies
Phase I
After the development of the first prototype, a usability study with health professionals was conducted. We obtained promising results regarding the main innovation proposed: the possibility of performing physical therapy in a VR shared space, feeling embodied in an avatar and experiencing social connection. However, usability was still not acceptable, which took us to improvements in the technical features of the scenario. The results of this first usability study and the concept of the SHARESPACE Health scenario were presented at the most important medical conference on Pain, the World Congress on Pain (conference of the prestigious International Association for the Study of Pain), celebrated in August 2024 in Amsterdam. SHARESPACE was presented in the Innovation Hub of the conference. The audience (mostly researchers and practitioners in the field of pain conditions) showed great interest.
Phase II
In this second phase, three usability studies were conducted with participants from the general population and health professionals (N = 41). The developed prototype improved in an iterative process. The final prototype was tested in a final feasibility study with 30 patients suffering from chronic low back pain at Vall d’Hebron Hospital in Barcelona.
The results of this study were a large success with the patients rating the usability of the system as good. The patients were immersed in a mixed reality scenario (AR with a VR landscape, a forest) where they could see her/his avatar in a mirror and see the avatar of their physical therapist, as well as automated avatars representing other patients. The physical therapist avatar guided the exercises, and the patient could perform them in synchrony with the other avatars. From the first prototype to the final one an important improvement has been achieved in the ease of use of the scenario (not wearing suits or sensors) and in the integration of all the technical elements. This is a meaningful step towards creating future XR-platforms that can make healthcare more accessible.
We are planning to present the results of the studies of this second phase at the World Congress on Pain that will be held in Bangkok, 26-30 October 2026.
The studies will be also disseminated in two scientific publications now in preparation.
