Turku University of Applied Sciences

Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) is a higher education community of over 10 000 experts. As a research entity, TUAS comprises over 20 research groups, of which Futuristic Interactive Technologies (FIT) and Wireless Communications and Cybersecurity (WCC) are the active research groups within the Smart Campus project.

FIT aims at extensive utilization of interactive technologies across various sectors and industries. The focus point of the operations is RDI activities related to gamification, serious games, game-based simulations, augmented reality, and virtual environments utilizing our own metaverse technology. The primary activity of the research group is to apply principles of user-centred design and quick prototyping through novel interactive solutions. That is, FIT creates prerequisites for business life to create product innovations and services which are visually appealing with a rich user experience.

At the heart of the WCC research group is the development of test platforms for wireless networks and the transfer of know-how to companies. The focus is on 5G technology and the cybersecurity of IoT systems.

Together, the role of FIT and WCC research groups in the Smart Campus project is to develop a VR experience for the Maritime industry that informs and teaches cruise-ship passengers and other harbour terminal users appropriate safety practices when a threatening situation arises. Our pilot VR application places the user in a digital twin of our campus building, where they must apply the run-hide-call protocol to reach safety together with non-player characters (NPCs). The NPC placement and movement in the virtual environment will use a data model based on LiDAR scanning that tracks how people move within the actual building. The idea is that the NPC placement and movement in the VR application mimics the building population from the LiDAR data model for the current timestamp. That is, if a visitor uses the VR application at 09:00, the NPCs would be moving around in similar parts of the building as the actual people would be at 09:00.