Eloïse Minderand Maël Sombret, students in the MTI3Dresearch-oriented master's program atthe Arts et Métiers institute Arts et Métiers Chalon-sur-Saône, took part in the IEEE 3DUI Contest organized as part of the IEEE VR conference from March 27 to April 2, 2021. Coached by Frédéric Mérienne, deputy director of the institute, and Jean-Remy Chardonnet, senior lecturer, they developed a rehabilitation aid tool for people affected by COVID.
We had to come up with an augmented and virtual reality application directly or indirectly related to the COVID pandemic,says Eloïse Minder.
Eloïse and Maël Sombret have chosen to help people affected by the virus regain their independence. Their app, called "Rebirth-20," allows users equipped with immersive glasses to perform a series of exercises in a virtual world. These physical exercises (movements, breathing, and relaxation) are based on those used in fibrosis rehabilitation. Virtual reality immerses users in a bubble, a cocoon, where they can escape to the sounds of nature.
The app is also a prevention tool, where users are guided by a virtual guide to learn how to limit the spread of the virus. Invisible in the real world, it is modeled in the virtual world.
A professional springboard
The students ran a booth during the annual conference where they presented their solution.
This conference allowed us to discover other projects and meet professionals and researchers who share the same passion for virtual reality,Maël points out.
The application also led to the publication of a scientific article.
With this experience under her belt, Eloïse is increasingly motivated to pursue her studies with a PhD. As for Maël, he is moving into the healthcare sector, where he hopes to put his knowledge of coding, modeling, and programming to good use.
