Institute for Eco-medicine
Cooperations

The Institute for Eco-Medicine leads an interdisciplinary research lab and a core facility that collaborates across institutions to develop and validate the effects of products and services on health and well-being. In partnership with the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, MultiMedia Technology program, the lab focuses on two key areas:

Evidence-Based Design: Healthy Building and Living through VR Prototyping

People spend much of their lives in built environments, which significantly influence their quality of life and productivity. The impact of architecture and spatial design can be measured through physiological and psychological parameters. Using virtual simulations, the health-related aspects of these environments can be scientifically assessed, allowing for design optimizations during the planning stage.

Virtual Reality Exergames: Medically Validated Gamification of Natural Environments ("Green Virtual Reality")

The Institute develops and validates exergames that simulate natural environments to promote health, focusing on lung diseases like asthma and COPD, which cause significant distress. The Ecomedicine Virtual Reality respiratory therapy exergame allows patients to learn and practice breathing exercises. By incorporating the psychoacoustic effects of the Krimml Waterfalls in VR, patients who cannot visit the waterfalls due to their condition can still benefit from their therapeutic effects.