The collaboration between MCI's "Health Tech" research focus and the Austrian Rodelverband (ÖRV) leads to a groundbreaking innovation in the sport of sledging: VRODEL, a virtual training method, increases both the quality of training and safety on the slopes.
Sledging is an increasingly popular winter sport, especially here in Tyrol. The so-called VRODEL (virtual sledge) was developed in cooperation between the MCI and the Austrian Rodelverband (ÖRV) to teach sledders the necessary skills, the proper handling of the sledge and the techniques for descending. Especially in today's increasingly digitalized world, where technology is playing an increasingly important and present role, this innovative method has been developed to make this beloved winter sport a safer one and to introduce winter sports enthusiasts to the handling of the sledge at an early stage.
Not only does the VRODEL offer a virtual experience that allows you to learn all the necessary skills with the help of a VR simulation, it also offers an important safety aspect. The exercises take place indoors, off the real-life slopes. By using this technology, knowledge and skills can be acquired and applied in a game-based way before heading out onto the slopes.
Gerald Kammerlander, Sports Director of the ÖRV, commented in an interview with Peter Leitner (freelance journalist and media consultant): "There was a previous project with a sled simulator which was still analog. Now we have decided to use the digital environment, which is particularly important in order to reach the young target audience" (Peter Leitner, Sportszene Tirol, "Der Rodelsport wird virtuell", 2023).
Further information is available here on the VRODEL website: https://vrodel.at/
