Umeå University's logo

We introduce Mood Devices, interactive digital media and environments designed to alter the inter-actor’s psychological state. In particular, we describe three very different virtual reality (VR) environments: Relaxation Island, the Exploratorium, and the Achievement Room, developed with our partners as part of the EMMA (Engaging Media for Mental Health) project. Relaxation Island is designed to support established relaxation techniques, as part of interventions to assist individuals cope with specific anxieties such as examination stress. The Achievement Room gives users with chronic restricted mobility the opportunity to sing and play in a virtual concert, in front of an audience of avatars programmed to respond to their performance. The aim is to provide a sense of achievement and encourage a more positive attitude. The Exploratorium, as the name suggests, takes a more user-directed approach: It provides an environment that can be explored in an embodied way, with three specific zones designed to elicited widely different moods. All three environments can be run on a range of platforms, from high-end immersive VR, to pocket-sized PDAs and web-based applications. We see such interactive media as providing an important contribution to the future of ehealth programmes.