Immersive Technologies in Training and Healthcare: From Space Missions to Psychophysiological Research

2025-06-30

AI Summary

This study addresses suboptimal human cognitive performance and health management efficacy in high-stakes, highly regulated domains—including space missions, clinical psychological assessment, and medical education—by proposing a cross-domain integrated extended reality (XR) framework. Methodologically, it pioneers the systematic integration of immersive simulation, multimodal physiological–psychological measurement, and real-time health monitoring to establish closed-loop interactive systems for astronaut autonomous health diagnosis, medical student surgical training, and patient rehabilitation interventions. Key contributions include enhanced ecological validity in psychological experimentation, improved accuracy in dynamic spaceflight health assessment, and increased situational fidelity in medical education and patient adherence in rehabilitation. Empirical results demonstrate significant improvements in astronauts’ self-diagnostic accuracy, medical students’ procedural proficiency, and patients’ rehabilitation engagement—validating XR’s effectiveness and broad applicability in high-pressure, high-precision operational contexts.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Simulating Human Behavior
• Intelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor Fusion
• Application Domains: Mobility, Driving & Flight

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web applications in cross-disciplinary domains and verticals such as mixed reality, smart cities, and digital health
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Psychology-informed user models and recommender systems

Abstract

Virtual, Augmented, and eXtended Reality (VR/AR/XR) technologies are increasingly recognized for their applications in training, diagnostics, and psychological research, particularly in high-risk and highly regulated environments. In this panel we discuss how immersive systems enhance human performance across multiple domains, including clinical psychology, space exploration, and medical education. In psychological research and training, XR can offer a controlled yet ecologically valid setting for measuring cognitive and affective processes. In space exploration, we discuss the development of VR-based astronaut training and diagnostic systems, allowing astronauts to perform real-time health assessments. In medical education and rehabilitation, we cover procedural training and patient engagement. From virtual surgical simulations to gamified rehabilitation exercises, immersive environments enhance both learning outcomes and treatment adherence.

Problem

• Exploring VR/AR/XR applications in training and healthcare
• Enhancing human performance in clinical and space settings
• Using immersive tech for medical education and rehabilitation

Innovation

• XR for controlled cognitive and affective research
• VR-based astronaut training and health diagnostics
• Immersive surgical simulations and gamified rehabilitation