The Empathic Reactive Media Lab (eRMLab), located in the Department of Psychiatry in the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain (UAM), is an interdisciplinary, international and intercultural academic research lab. It is specifically focused on virtual realities applied to medicine and empathy.
It is a space dedicated to the research and progressive innovation of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (XR) and multisensorial reality (MR) and their educational potential, through the analysis and implementation of biometric technology for the collection of physiological data.
The director, founder and visionary of the eRMLab is Emeritus Prof. Dr. José María Poveda de Agustín (Spain), Department of Psychiatry, UAM.
VR is used to totally immerse the user in an uninterrupted space, a place where they can experience new perceptions and explore, learn and understand how to sense the emotions of others. The effects of the state produced by VR are measured in real time, using non-invasive biometrics..
Empathy, in our research, refers to the ability to understand, share, try out and create communication and collaboration through the feelings, emotions and thoughts of others. It facilitates interpersonal communication and collaboration.
Biometrics is the field referring to detailed biological information about the changes going on under the skin (brain, heart, lungs, muscles, etc.) during the exposure to VR. Biometrics is a system that registers physical and emotional cyclical changes (biorhythms) and other behavioural episodes of interest. It allows people to enhance teaching conditions and increase the speed of learning.
The eRMLab is composed of a multidisciplinary group of professionals and university faculty in the fields of medicine, psychology, education, geopolitics, high tech, optical engineering, the world of art and image processing, including computer vision, that collaborate from the Department of Psychiatry with the Faculty of Medicine and with universities that have agreements with the UAM. We also have external experts such as developers and consultants to strengthen our work with innovative technologies such as virtual realities, and their educational applications.
The team was born to promote educational innovation in health sciences, pedagogical research using virtual realities and non-invasive biometrics with a special focus on empathy.
Housed in the Library building of the Faculty of Medicine at the UAM, the eRMLab has the cutting-edge technological tools necessary to explore the power and potential of virtual realities, to implement various research projects and to provide a place to experiment with VR firsthand, sharing experiences and knowledge, as well as cultivating innovation. The eRMLab is used by undergraduate and graduate students for practical training in Medical Psychology. It is also prepared for students with disabilities, including visual, motor and manual impairment
The coordinating members of the eRMLab are:
Director and Founder
Emeritus Professor Dr. José María Poveda de Agustín (Spain)
Department of Psychiatry, UAM
Email: josemaria.poveda@uam.es
Web Page: José María Poveda.com
Academic Secretary
Prof. Dr. Jesús Poveda de Agustín (España) (763kB)
Department of Psychiatry, UAM
Professor of Medical Psychology & Bioethics
Email: jesus.poveda@uam.es
Laboratory Training
Dr. Francisco (Paco) Fernández González (España)
Email: pacofrnndz@gmail.com
Online Training
Juan Poveda de Agustin (España)
Email: juanpobdt@gmail.com
Web Page and International Relations
Dra. Sheila Robbie (España)
Email: sheilarobbie.ue@gmail.com
The main objectives of the eRMLab are to:
Our mission is to:
We do this by:
Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Calle del Arzobispo Morcillo 4. 28029 Madrid. Tel. +34 91 497 54 86 Fax. 91 497 53 53. Email. informacion.medicina@uam.es