The University of Siena is the coordinator and lead partner of EMPAIRED – Empathic AI and XR for Ergonomic Education, an innovative research and development project co-funded by the European Union within the framework of the MASTER programme.
The project is coordinated by Professor Patrizia Marti, from the Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences, and addresses the challenge of XR for remote and inclusive robotics education, aiming to transform ergonomic training through the integration of artificial intelligence and extended reality technologies.
At the core of EMPAIRED is the development of a modular XR–AI educational ecosystem designed to improve learning effectiveness of ergonomics good practice in industrial and educational contexts. This system integrates Algho, an AI-powered virtual human, developed by QuestIt s.r.l., equipped with voice interaction and emotion recognition capabilities, into the Ergon-XR framework.
“Algho is not just a digital interface; it is a virtual companion equipped with voice interaction and emotion recognition capabilities“, explains Professor Marti. “Our goal was to create a system where the digital assistant can sense the user’s frustration or engagement, adapting its coaching style in real-time to ensure that the ergonomic training is truly effective and personalized“.
This allows for a unique training experience where the digital assistant provides real-time coaching based on both ergonomic risk evaluation and the user’s emotional state. The project combines immersive XR training scenarios with ergonomic data analysis and an empathic AI digital assistant capable of providing voice-based coaching and feedback.
“By merging objective performance metrics with human-centred, conversational interaction”, continues the researcher, “EMPAIRED promotes active learning and long-term behavioural change in ergonomic practices”.
The project’s interdisciplinary consortium reflects this vision, featuring DeepReality SRL, an Italian SME specialising in XR development and AI integration for education, which is responsible for the implementation of immersive XR training environments. Joining them is Moebeus Società Benefit SRL, an innovative company focused on sustainability, AI-driven solutions, and organisational change, leading the integration of the empathic AI digital assistant and ethical management.
“Through pilot activities involving 60 students from advanced industrial design courses, we aim to demonstrate measurable improvements in ergonomic competence, usability, and user satisfaction“, concludes Professor Marti. “This project sets a new benchmark for data-driven, inclusive, and empathetic XR-based education, reinforcing the University of Siena’s role as a leading institution in human-centred technological innovation at the European level“.
For more details: https://www.empaired.eu