ConectARverse * 2023
Online (Portugal)
ConectARverse is an XR-driven science communication platform conceived as a shared virtual space for respiratory health where patients with chronic respiratory diseases (CRD), caregivers/family members, and researchers/health professionals can meet, learn, and collaborate inside an accessible, multi-user environment. Developed within the ConectAR research network, Portugal’s pioneering patient-and-public-involvement (PPI) initiative in respiratory health, the project responds to a central challenge in participatory health research: creating communication formats that are not merely informative, but social, welcoming, and emotionally sustaining.
In this context, António Baía Reis served as Creative Director, leading the XR design vision and outlining the platform’s narrative logic, interaction grammar, and experiential flow so that diverse users (patients, family members, researchers) could inhabit the same space with different needs, without fragmenting the experience. The aim was not to replicate a clinic or a classroom, but to build an environment that invites return visits, a place where science communication feels less like “content delivery” and more like companionship, orientation, and shared presence.
Methodologically, ConectARverse was developed through a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach, translating user perspectives into personas, motivations, and usage scenarios. These insights shaped both the functional requirements (clarity, usability, multi-device access, social interaction) and the aesthetic ambition: an “idyllic” space that balances learning and information-sharing with experiential care. The platform was built on Spatial, chosen for rapid onboarding and broad accessibility (browser, mobile, and VR), with interaction prototyping developed through Unity and 3D asset editing in Blender.
A signature element is the platform’s immersive sound experience, designed as a spatial-audio “breathing refuge” that encourages users to pause, relax, and attend to breath as both biological necessity and lived experience, an intentionally gentle interaction that supports intimacy without overwhelming the shared environment.
ConectARverse is part of a broader excellence ecosystem in Portuguese respiratory health research and science communication, reflected in national recognitions tied to the ConectAR network’s participatory approach:
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Asthma Research Award 2023 (Prémio Investigação em Asma 2023) — Best research project for “COSMIC: Co-creation of a self-management app for asthma: A citizen science protocol.”
Awarding body: Sociedade Portuguesa de Alergologia e Imunologia Clínica (SPAIC) & JABA Recordati, S.A.
Scope: National (Portugal).
Significance & impact: Recognition from Portugal’s leading immunoallergology society, highlighting research excellence and social impact through projects combining science, communication, and immersive/interactive practices.
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SPAIC–AstraZeneca Award 2022 (Prémio SPAIC – AstraZeneca 2022) — for “PAAI – Interactive and online Self-Learning Program for people with asthma: co-creation and impact evaluation.”
Awarding body: SPAIC & AstraZeneca Portugal.
Scope: National (Portugal).
Significance & impact: Award for innovative health and science communication, emphasizing participatory methods and interactive digital media to empower patients.
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SPAIC–AstraZeneca Award 2021 (Prémio SPAIC – AstraZeneca 2021) — for “Collaborative network of asthma patients and caregivers with active involvement in health research.”
Awarding body: SPAIC & AstraZeneca Portugal.
Scope: National (Portugal).
Significance & impact: National recognition of citizen-science-driven health research and communication, strengthening collaboration between researchers and patient communities.
Funded through Portuguese national support (FCT) under EXPL/SAU-SER/0439/2021, ConectARverse reframes “the metaverse” as a humane, practical infrastructure for participation bridging scientific knowledge, patient experience, and community belonging through an XR language designed for access, care, and co-creation.