GreenTouch: XR in occupational therapy for the ecological handprint

The Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS), Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten, future minds, in-scope and the IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems are researching the use of Extended Reality (XR) in occupational therapy to promote climate-friendly action in the FFG project ‘GreenTouch’. The World Health Organisation describes the climate change as the biggest threat to global health and calls for changes at a societal, social and individual level (WHO 2021). This is where the FFG GreenTouch project comes in and offers innovative solutions for the field of occupational therapy: therapists should use Extended Reality (XR) to develop the necessary climate skills themselves and then pass them on to their clients with the help of technology. Occupational therapists act as multipliers of climate-neutral action and therefore promote the ecological handprint. Occupational therapists support their clients in improving their ability to act in everyday life. In doing so, they can make a decisive contribution to individual occupational adaptations and increasing resilience in dealing with environmental changes. Clients who are restricted in their participation are actively involved in climate protection, which strengthens social participation and promotes health. To do this successfully, they need specific skills, which are taught in the GreenTouch project with the help of low-threshold extended reality (XR). The focus is on the co-creative process of developing an XR research prototype involving experts, practitioners and clients. The potential of XR technologies to increase climate literacy will be analysed through comprehensive evaluation in terms of applicability, user experience, usability and interaction possibilities. This prototype is intended to facilitate the learning and understanding of complex content through visual, acoustic and haptic elements and thus enable sustainable adaptation to action. The results of the project should help to support the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 4, 12 and 13 in the areas of health, education and climate protection. Practical solutions will be developed and summarised in a didactic concept and a final letter of policy. The team has expertise and experience in the areas of VR/XR, co-creation, training, climate communication and occupational therapy. IMC Krems is largely involved in the co-creative process and contributes its occupational therapy expertise to the project.