A.bility

"A.bility" is a multidisciplinary project of the European Project Semester with a focus on active mobility and sustainability. It is designed in a virtual reality environment set in St. Pölten.

How does the game work?

Using a VR headset, the players can explore the 3D world that is the setting of the game. Ideally, the players use an Oculus Quest 2, as this is the platform the team had in mind during the development process. The 3D world offers interactive mini-games in 2D that users can play in order to stay active both mentally and physically.

In these games, the players have to execute certain tasks with actual bodily movements and make decisions concerning their means of transport. The mini-games show the consequences of the decisions for the players’ own activity level and on the environment in the context of active mobility and sustainability.

Ideally, the persons engaging with the game have an immersive experience that confronts them with their own physical strengths and weaknesses as well as the impact that their decisions can have.

Once the games are completed, the players can watch a documentary film about active mobility and its advantages for their physical health and for the environment. This video shows different aspects of active mobility such as exercise, health, routines, and tips.

Insights into the game and the video production | Copyright: Norman Völlmecke

Objectives and Implementation

“The goal of our project was to raise people’s awareness and enlighten them in a playful and interactive manner. Edutainment and gamification are our main instruments to achieve this”, explains the project team.

The target group that the project wants to reach is based in St. Pölten, which is why this geographical space was selected for the virtual reality setting as well.

To make the contents of the documentary film informative and enlightening, the team conducted interviews with experts from the physiotherapy and health sciences departments of various universities as well as with the target group itself. A special focus was on the comprehensibility of the contents.

While the team concentrated on Oculus Quest 2 for the implementation, the game will also be made available on other platforms in order to reach as many people as possible. “All contents will be available on a website so that parts of our work are accessible for everyone, even without using a VR headset”, the students say.