The EMIR Laboratory Nears Completion

The Exploration of Media Immersion for Rehabilitation (EMIR) Laboratory is in its final stages of implementation before going "live" over the coming fall. The project received a significant new impetus in 2012 with the engagement of the company Cine-Scène, which has helped us line up a series of "showcase demos" that explore the use of the lab for physical rehabilitation in a variety of areas and ways.

The lab is now organized into seven distinct "stations", each providing different immersive ensembles for the user :

1. Interactive Floor
2. Stereo Panorama with Motion Capture
3. Tactile Interface
4. Co-breathers
5. Forward Spatialized Sound System
6. Rear Spatialized Sound System
7. Physiological Interface

In addition to these, 15 wireless headsets and 3 HD video cameras are available for additional initiatives. We expect to extend these supplementary systems over the come year to include other elements.

Typically, stations might be operated jointly in pairs - for example, the Stereo Panorama will be operated with the Forward Sound System, or with the 15 wireless headsets.

A coordinated controller is being incorporated into the Tactile Interface to allow a user to select the stations to use for any particular application.

With Cine-Scène, we have been constructing six "showcase demos" that will be used to promote the lab to other researchers and to clinical staff at the hospital. These include the development of a floor that perturbs balance, the development of a real-time avatar with reduced or enhanced mobility compared to the user, the exploration of different perceptions of the same immersive experience, the development of a laboratory experiment, the use of the co-breathers and the use of a physiological interface. I should have photos to show shortly!