FUX-XR@FH;P: Extended Reality (XR)

The aim of the FUX-XR@FH;P project, which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is to develop an XR infrastructure that combines virtual and real-world environments and realities. The "X" can be seen as a placeholder for V(R), A(R) or M(R). XR covers the hardware, software, processes and experiences that make virtual reality, mixed reality, augmented reality, cinematic reality and others a reality. The infrastructure procured as part of the measure is intended to enable the design and evaluation of XR technologies for different application scenarios and thematic orientations.

The increasing digitalisation of society and social spaces is also increasing the importance of augmented and virtual realities for applied research. XR settings can be used to create controllable and manipulable hybrid spaces. These combine digital and physical elements and enable new dimensions of immersive communication and mediation of complex issues in combination with digitally enhanced interactions. The observation and evaluation of such XR actions using bio- and neurosensor technology as well as eye-tracking and their reflection to the interactors via interactive visualisation enables precise testing of methods and tools under development in cooperation with the users.

The XR infrastructure has a modular structure and can be handled flexibly. It is suitable for both large-scale stationary and mobile use. The technology and materials are integrated into the existing labs at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam (e.g. IDL [https://idl.fh-potsdam.de/de/]) and the Outreach Hub Luckenwalde [https://www.fh-potsdam.de/studium-lehre/projekte/praesenzstelle-luckenw…]. Examples of the use of virtual reality devices in the field of human-computer interaction can be explored on the pages of the Interface Workshop [https://interfacelab.fh-potsdam.de] of the Department of Design.

Hopohopo - an interactive story about social phobia in VR
The VR application "Hopohopo" comprises an interactive story designed to sensitise people to the topic of social phobia. The VR application was developed together with those affected as part of the BMBF-funded research project "DISA - Digital Inclusion in the Context of Social Anxiety Disorders" (https://www.fh-potsdam.de/forschung-transfer/projekte/disa). The aim is to use visual, acoustic or haptic stimuli to make the feelings of people affected by anxiety situations more comprehensible. Using VR goggles and controllers, you accompany a fictitious person with social anxiety in everyday situations and get an impression of how much space anxiety and dealing with anxiety-inducing situations take up in everyday life. Those affected can benefit if loved ones are comprehensively informed about social anxiety with the help of such applications, as this allows stigmatising and false basic assumptions to be challenged.