Rhymu: A Virtual Project Space for Location-Independent Workshops

Project meetings and innovation workshops nowadays either take place in person or virtually through video calls. While in-person meetings can involve significant travel, the attention of participants in video calls is often limited. The research project "Virtual Project Spaces – Conducting Location-Independent Project and Innovation Workshops in Virtual Reality" combines the advantages of in-person meetings with those of location-independent video calls.

The "RhyMu Multi-User Project Room" is the centerpiece of the project. While specially developed software runs in the background, workshop participants gather in the virtual room regardless of their physical location.

Participants enter the virtual space using VR goggles, which resembles a conventional seminar room with various elements, including a virtual whiteboard, a training area, and a feedback wall.

RhyMu has already been successfully used in RhySearch events and meetings with regional and international project partners. Based on feedback, RhyMu is currently being further developed and will be introduced to a larger circle of regional industry companies. There is also consideration of introducing the concept of a VR-supported workshop format and making the "RhyMu Multi-User Project Room" accessible to schools and educational institutions through an open-source model. This would simplify international projects, reduce travel costs, and save CO2 emissions.

Overall, the research project offers the opportunity to combine the benefits of in-person meetings and virtual meetings, creating more efficient and environmentally friendly collaboration options for projects and workshops.