Aberdeen Airport testing VR app for passengers with hidden disabilities

Looking for volunteers to help with testing

Aberdeen International Airport has been working with Friendly Access, a Scottish hidden disabilities charity as it looks to trial a new Virtual Reality app for passengers who may find travel challenging.  

Friendly Access, together with the School of Simulation and Visualisation at The Glasgow School of Art and 3D visualisation specialists Crag3D, have devised iSenseVR.

iSenseVR is an app that will positively impact those who may experience sensory difficulties in busy environments, like airports, shopping centres and other highly populated areas.

The app is now in its final stages of development, and the team need 70 volunteers with hidden disabilities to register their interest in assisting with the research before this Friday’s deadline.

Aberdeen International Airport has facilitated development work with the app team and potential participants could attend the airport for further research.

The research involves around 20 minutes’ app activity every 3 days over 1.5 months. Participants also will be asked to complete a short questionnaire through the app at the end of each session.

Those interested in taking part should visit: https://friendlyaccess.org/prescreenisensevr/

Glyn Morris, Chief Executive, Friendly Access:

“We are currently seeking approximately 70 individuals with hidden disabilities, aged 16 and over, living in the UK, to take part into our study. As our approach is holistic, we do not target any specific hidden disability, but rather prefer to be as inclusive as possible to most hidden disabilities.

“We’re asking potential participants to use their own mobile phone and a Virtual Reality (VR) headset which we will supply, you will experience different environments and scenarios found in an airport using our VR app. We want to empower people to empower people living with hidden disabilities such as autism, learning disabilities and mental health issues to overcome their barriers in an airport environment.”

Aberdeen International Airport Duty Manager Fraser Bain:

  “We’re delighted to assist the team with the creation of the iSenseVR app in any way we can, as we all have a common interest in making airport experiences as comfortable and as relaxing as possible.”

In 2017, Aberdeen International Airport launched new hidden disabilities lanyards in partnership with Friendly Access.

The airport now offers passengers the opportunity to have familiarisation tours of the terminal prior to their travel plans as well as the option of wearing a hidden disability lanyard whilst in the facility.

N.B. Image credit: pixabay

Internet links

Aberdeen International (ABZ)

Friendly Access

Crag3D