VR2Care · Project

Multi-User Virtual Reality for Group Rehabilitation and Exercise in Elderly Care

healthPilotedTRL 7

Imagine a group of older adults in different cities doing physical exercises together in virtual reality — guided by a real therapist who sees everyone at once. Instead of lonely rehab sessions at home, people share the effort, keep each other motivated, and fight isolation, all through VR headsets. The system was tested across four pilot sites in Portugal, the Netherlands, and Italy with real care facilities and patients.

By the numbers

Demonstrator pilot sites deployed

EU countries with live pilots (PT, NL, IT)

Consortium partners

Countries represented in consortium

SMEs in consortium

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Elderly care facilities face two compounding challenges: keeping residents physically active for rehabilitation and health maintenance, and combating social isolation — especially for those who cannot travel to group exercise sessions. Current telehealth solutions are limited to one-on-one video calls that lack engagement and motivation. There is no scalable way to deliver supervised group exercise across multiple locations simultaneously.

The solution

What was built

A multi-user mixed reality platform where groups of older adults in different physical locations can exercise together in shared virtual spaces, supervised in real time by therapists. Four demonstrator systems were deployed covering distance psychomotricity training, AI-guided one-to-one rehabilitation, hybrid local-remote group exercise, and clinical post-rehabilitation therapy.

Audience

Who needs this

Senior care facility chains looking to improve rehabilitation outcomesTelehealth platform companies wanting to add immersive group therapyHealth insurance providers seeking cost-effective remote rehabilitationMunicipal elderly care programs needing scalable exercise supervisionCorporate wellness companies expanding into senior fitness

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Senior Care & Assisted Living

mid-size

Target: Residential care facility operators and home care providers

If you are a senior care provider struggling to keep residents physically active and socially engaged — this project developed a multi-user VR platform where groups of older adults exercise together from different locations, supervised by a therapist in real time. It was piloted across 3 EU locations with 4 demonstrators covering psychomotricity training, one-to-one rehabilitation, hybrid group sessions, and clinical post-rehab exercise. This could reduce the need for on-site therapy staff while improving patient adherence.

Digital Health & Telerehabilitation

SME

Target: Telehealth platform companies and rehab technology vendors

If you are a digital health company looking to expand beyond video-call therapy — this project built a full immersive VR environment with AI-supported real-time guidance, natural interaction, and multi-user capabilities. It was co-designed with therapists, caregivers, and clinicians and tested in 4 demonstrator scenarios. The technology could be licensed or integrated into existing telerehabilitation platforms to add group VR sessions as a premium service.

Broadcasting & Content

any

Target: Media companies and training content providers entering the health VR space

If you are a broadcaster or training content company exploring VR delivery — this project specifically identified broadcasting, architecture, and education as expansion sectors where the multi-user VR platform can deliver remote training and services. With 10 consortium partners including 3 SMEs already producing content and technology, this opens a path to licensing VR group experiences beyond healthcare into fitness and corporate wellness.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to deploy this VR system in our care facility?

The project data does not include specific pricing or per-unit costs. As an Innovation Action with 10 partners and 4 demonstrator deployments, significant development investment has been made. Contact the consortium for licensing or deployment pricing.

Can this scale beyond pilot sites to a commercial product?

The project ran 4 demonstrators across 3 countries (Portugal, Netherlands, Italy) testing different use cases from group psychomotricity to clinical post-rehab exercise. The consortium includes 4 industry partners and 3 SMEs (40% industry ratio), suggesting commercial scaling was part of the design. The funding scheme was Innovation Action, which targets near-market solutions.

Who owns the IP and can we license the technology?

The coordinator is INESC TEC, a Portuguese research and technology organization. With 10 partners across 4 countries and 4 industry partners involved, IP is likely shared under consortium agreement. Licensing discussions should start with the coordinator.

Does this work with standard VR equipment or require custom hardware?

The project uses natural interfaces and mixed reality, but specific hardware requirements are not detailed in the available data. The focus on multimodal natural interaction and embodiment suggests compatibility with commercial VR headsets, but this should be confirmed with the consortium.

Has this been tested with real patients and therapists?

Yes. The project was co-designed with active participation of older adults, caregivers, therapists, community members, and clinicians. Four demonstrators were deployed as pilot sites in Portugal, the Netherlands, and Italy covering different rehabilitation and exercise scenarios.

What regulatory approvals does this have?

Based on available project data, specific regulatory certifications (medical device, CE marking) are not mentioned. As a rehabilitation support tool rather than a diagnostic device, regulatory requirements may vary by country. This should be verified with the consortium.

Consortium

Who built it

The VR2Care consortium brings together 10 partners from 4 countries (Austria, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal), with a healthy 40% industry ratio — 4 industry partners including 3 SMEs. This mix of 3 research organizations, 1 university, and 4 industry players suggests the project was designed to move from lab to market. The coordinator, INESC TEC in Portugal, is a well-established technology research institute with strong industry transfer experience. Having SMEs in the consortium typically means commercial exploitation plans were built into the project from day one.

INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIACoordinator · PT
STICHTING SMART HOMESparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO IIparticipant · IT
ALTICE LABS SAparticipant · PT
COOPERATIVA SOCIALE COOSS MARCHE ONLUS SOCIETA COOPERATIVA PER AZIONIparticipant · IT
AFEDEMY, ACADEMY ON AGE-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENTS IN EUROPE BVparticipant · NL
COGVIS SOFTWARE UND CONSULTING GMBHparticipant · AT
IMAGINARY SRLparticipant · IT
STICHTING TANTELOUISEparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

INESC TEC - Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Tecnologia e Ciência, Portugal. Use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service for direct contact details.

Order a report on this consortium See INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the VR2Care team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for licensing, piloting, or integration discussions.

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