Project details
Title:
Metaverse, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence to Support the Well-Being and Quality of Life of Frail Individuals
Acronym:
METASALUTE
Type:
Regional (Total Funding Amount 812.831,95 €) – Progetto del PR FESR 2021-2027 – ASSE 1 – OBIETTIVO SPECIFICO 1.1 – AZIONE 1.1.1 – Bando “RICERCA E SVILUPPO PER INNOVARE LE MARCHE” – Incentivi alle imprese per attività di ricerca industriale e sviluppo sperimentale negli ambiti della Strategia regionale per la specializzazione intelligente – AGGREGAZIONE DI IMPRESE
Start Date:
September 1, 2024
End Date:
February 28, 2026
Principal Investigator:
DII Unit Responsible – Andrea Monteriù
Other Units Involved:
LABIRINTO COOPERATIVA SOCIALE (Lead Partner) – AGEING TECT SRL – MICRO CENTER SRL – UNIVPM (DII – DIISM)
Keywords:
Internet of Things (IoT) for Ambient Sensing ; Non-Invasive Physiological Monitoring ; Artificial Intelligence for Early Detection ;- Technology-Assisted Integrated Care Models ; Virtual Reality Serious Games
Description:
METASALUTE proposes an advanced, integrated solution combining Virtual Reality-based serious games, IoT-powered physiological and environmental monitoring, and AI-driven analytics to enhance the well-being and quality of life of frail individuals. By deploying wearable devices, ambient sensors, smartphones, tablets, and VR modules, the project enables non-invasive, continuous data collection on biometric, cognitive, and contextual parameters. This data is processed on a secure, cloud-based platform using intelligent algorithms to identify early warning signs of cognitive decline, stress, or environmental discomfort.
Field trials involving at least 40 participants across residential, semi-residential, and home settings, guided by a scientifically designed protocol from Università Politecnica delle Marche, will test system usability, reliability, and effectiveness. The platform supports caregivers and healthcare professionals through real-time dashboards, health alert notifications, and actionable insights for timely interventions.
Immersive VR activities stimulate cognitive functions such as memory, language, and psychomotor skills, while IoT and AI profiling enhance user autonomy, social engagement, and healthy aging. METASALUTE aligns with its online vision by fostering a technology-assisted ecosystem that bridges social and healthcare services, supports personalized, proactive interventions, and contributes to creating sustainable, scalable models to support vulnerable populations across Europe.
Objectives:
METASALUTE aims to create and pre-validate an integrated, non‑invasive technological framework to improve the well‑being, autonomy, and quality of life of frail individuals—including those with chronic conditions, disabilities, or social disadvantages. It combines Virtual Reality serious games, wearable and environmental IoT sensors, and Artificial Intelligence to continuously monitor and analyze biometric, cognitive, and contextual parameters. The system will detect early warning signs, such as cognitive decline, stress, or physical discomfort, by identifying recurring patterns through AI, enabling timely and personalized preventive actions.
The project will implement flexible, technology-assisted care models that bridge social and healthcare services. Pilots taking place in semi-residential centers, protected residences, and the user’s own home will test the system with at least 40 participants, using a science-based protocol developed in partnership with Università Politecnica delle Marche. These pilots will assess usability, effectiveness, and impact on autonomy, social interaction, and mental engagement.
METASALUTE also seeks to empower caregivers and professionals with data-driven dashboards, alerts, and decision-support tools, improving coordination of care. Through immersive cognitive exercises in VR and ambient sensing, the project intends to boost engagement, cognitive resilience, and independence. Ultimately, the initiative aims to produce a scalable and sustainable model for integrated, proactive social-healthcare support targeting vulnerable populations in Europe.
Application Contexts:
METASALUTE operates across multiple care environments, semi-residential centers, residential facilities, protected residences, day-care hubs, and private homes, to deliver a flexible, technology-driven support ecosystem for frail individuals. In semi-residential and residential settings, the integrated platform enables continuous monitoring of physiological, cognitive, and environmental parameters, allowing caregivers and clinicians to detect early signs of decline and implement timely interventions. Within protected residences and day-care centers, serious games in Virtual Reality offer cognitive stimulation and social engagement, helping prevent isolation while ensuring ongoing supervision. At home, wearable devices and ambient IoT sensors combined with cloud-based AI analysis provide non-invasive, real-time tracking of well-being, supporting autonomy and proactive health management in familiar surroundings.
The project also enhances service integration by facilitating data sharing among social workers, medical professionals, and families through intuitive dashboards, alert systems, and secure communication channels. By adapting to diverse living scenarios and aligning with user daily routines, METASALUTE fosters personalized and context-aware care. The result is a scalable model that bridges social and healthcare services, delivering tailored, proactive support to vulnerable populations across Europe.
Expected Results:
METASALUTE will deliver a fully integrated cloud platform that connects Virtual Reality serious games, wearable and ambient IoT sensors, and AI analytics, proven effective in real-world scenarios. The project expects to validate early detection of health declines, cognitive, emotional, or physiological, through pilot trials involving at least 40 frail individuals in home, semi-residential, and residential contexts. Measured outcomes include increased detection accuracy of prodromal health changes, reinforced cognitive engagement through structured VR activities, and improved user autonomy. Quantitative benchmarks (e.g., changes in cognitive and well-being scores) and qualitative feedback via structured questionnaires will demonstrate user acceptance and improvements in quality of life.
METASALUTE also anticipates delivering a validated service delivery model that integrates social and healthcare interventions through data-driven dashboards, early-warning alerts, and communication tools. This will enable more coordinated, personalized care by caregivers and professionals, improving response times and resource optimization. Furthermore, the project expects to confirm the feasibility and user trust in non-invasive, home-based long-term monitoring. The final outcomes will include a package of deliverables, scalability guidelines, implementation frameworks, usability studies, privacy compliance reports, and policy recommendations, designed to enable replication across Europe and beyond.
Achivied Results:
The project is still ongoing
Web Site of the DII Laboratory:
Laboratory of Artificially Intelligent Robotics (LAIR)
