Sports and Movement Sciences contribute to better health

Researchers from VU Amsterdam and the UT develop first multi-user VR rowing platform, presented at the Rowing Reimagined symposium.

Sports and Movement Sciences contribute to better health

Rowing together with fellow rowers from around the world is now possible in Virtual Reality (VR), and it holds great promise for the future of sport and sports training. Researchers from the UT and VU Amsterdam have developed the very first multi-user VR rowing platform. The VU-UT team showcased the new VR tool to a full audience of (inter)national experts from the industry and academia during the Rowing Reimagined symposium on 1 June at the Amsterdam Institute of Sport Science (AISS). Attendees were, of course, able to experience the virtual rowing setup themselves.

The project received financial support from the Internal Call of VU-UT within the 'Sport and Movement' project line, part of the Smart Societies impact coalition. 'Sport and Movement' brings together the strong expertise of UT and VU Amsterdam researchers in Human-Media Interaction, Industrial Design and Engineering from the UT, and Human Movement Sciences from VU Amsterdam. The initiative aims to contribute to better health by improving both the quantity and quality of physical activity. Scientific publications will follow soon. 

Within 'Sport and Movement,' smart technologies are used to measure, monitor, and improve sports experiences in terms of engagement, learning and performance. The Sport Data Valley is employed to securely manage, analyse and share data. The project line also sees the UT and VU Amsterdam working together to train a new generation of scientists through the joint master's track in Sports Data Science. In this program, students learn how to combine the possibilities of technology with the principles of movement sciences.